Star Wars New Jedi Team 1: Growing Pains
by SurferSquid
Summary: Meet Tierra Arussa, a Padawan recruit newly enrolled in Luke Skywalker's Jedi praxeum on Yavin 4 in the infancy of the New Republic. As she learns the ropes of being a Jedi, she befriends four other Padawans: Siri Tachi II, Ackoy, Bynk Jes, and Tra'ave.
1. Chapter 1

Star Wars: New Jedi Team

Growing Pains

Chapter 1: Arrival

Tierra Arussa was homesick. That much was evident. She missed everything about Corellia; the familiar sights and sounds, the people she knew, and especially her family, although before she had left she had found her two younger brothers to be unbearably annoying. But life was different now, she reminded herself resignedly. She was a Jedi.

Well, a Padawan, anyway. But a Jedi-in-training was almost as legitimate as the real thing, right? She could still remember vividly the singular events of the other day. It was yet another humdrum afternoon of puzzling over her homework and trying not to get too distracted by Benri and Tiho running around tackling each other. Then came the authoritative tone of the door buzzer, and who should be standing on the other side but Luke Skywalker himself, hero of the Galactic Civil War. Needless to say, Tierra's mother was dumbfounded (to say nothing of Tierra herself and her brothers).

Suddenly, Tierra had found herself swept into a world light-years apart (quite literally) from her childhood on Corellia. Jungle canopies replaced suburban sprawl, fellow Force-sensitives of all ages and races took the niche previously occupied by her classmates (who were quite mundane in comparison), and hopes of getting into a decent university were squandered by visions of becoming a guardian of galactic peace. All this, and it had only been a day since she had even left her home planet. The official induction ceremony would take place in the morning.

The young Human pulled her blanket around her shoulders and tried to sleep, but the anxiety was relentless. Things had happened far too quickly for her to give them any thought, but now that she finally had some time to herself, her emotions were running high. Would she ever see her family again? Would they be safe? Somehow she felt like it was her responsibility to protect them, like without her around they would fall prey to a vicious galaxy with its myriad dangers. _Neg, that's ridiculous, _she chided herself, using the familiar slang she had picked up from her father. Elaph Arussa had been a fine spacer in his day, but when he met his future wife he had decided to settle back down on his home planet, although he still spoke like one who traveled the hyperspace lanes for a living (much to the consternation of Mrs. Arussa). _Dad'll take care of everybody._

Tierra turned over in the bed—well, she supposed it was _her_ bed now, just as the room was hers. The walls of the praxeum were ancient, apparently the bastion remnants of some forgotten temple complex; Tierra's generation knew the place better as the Rebels' base during the pivotal Battle of Yavin, the year she was born. At any rate, the simple mat stuffed with dry grass was a far cry from her factory-manufactured spring mattress at home…but it was certainly no less comfortable. And it had an interesting, fresh smell to it.

She was suddenly made aware of a rushing, pattering sound outside, and the air had become noticeably more humid. It was raining again. Of course, such was to be expected on the jungle moon. Tierra rolled over onto her back and stared at the shadows that hid the ceiling. The sound of rainfall had always soothed her. Now she hoped it would put her to sleep. However, her thoughts turned ceaselessly to her family, her home. She began thinking frantically of somehow finding a way off of Yavin 4, back to Corellia, back to familiarity, and it was all she could do not to cry. Well, she'd get on the praxeum's holo-transmitter in the morning and see if she could contact her family, she reasoned with herself. Still, the sensation of being so far away from them was rather disconcerting. No longer could she run to her mother's arms for comfort or ask her father for advice on her troubles. _Please, get some sleep,_ she begged herself. The oblivion of unconsciousness was far better than this heart-wracking agony of separation anxiety. Naturally, the harder she tried to sleep, the more awake she found herself. This continued for what seemed like an eternity, her thoughts cycling over and over to the rhythm of the rain, until finally fatigue overcame worry and she drifted into slumber.

***

_Blurs of light, flashes of emotion… Shouts, cries, pain, silence… A face wracked with torment… "No…what have I done…?! Someone, end my pain or I'll have to do it myself!!"_

"_Stop!!" Tierra found herself crying out to the sorrowed one. "Come to the Jedi academy, the praxeum on Yavin 4! Luke Skywalker can help you!" Why had she mentioned Master Skywalker and the praxeum? She didn't know, for as soon as she had spoken these words, the dream faded into morning…_

***

Tierra's eyes snapped open. All traces of the dream she had just been having dissolved in the morning light streaming through her window. It was for the best, she reasoned; there was much to be done that day. As she pulled on her repulsorskates, she looked at them with a newly discerning eye. Their bright, garish colors clashed irreverently with the subdued, earthy tones of everything else around her, but they had been a going-away present from her parents, and they were the newest model, fresh from the factory. And, of course, in her childish excitement, they were the only pair of shoes she had thought to pack.

"Well…maybe they'll come in handy," she sighed. Thankfully, the small repulsorlifts in the soles could be turned on and off, so they could function as normal boots, but still, she didn't think something like that was appropriate Jedi dress. Then again, Master Skywalker didn't exactly look like the Jedi in the history books either-- more like a spacer as her father had been. On the trip from Corellia, he had told her how it was a new day for the Jedi Order. Perhaps that meant a new dress code, as well? Tierra grinned at her own silliness.

"Miss Arussa?" The female voice startled Tierra, and she pulled back the blanket that served as her door to see a tall, silver-haired Human woman with a look of concern on her face. "Good, you're awake," the woman said. "The welcoming ceremony will start soon, would you like me to show you to the Grand Audience Chamber?"

Tierra blanched as her body jolted with realization. She had slept in. "Oh no!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry! I meant to wake up earlier, really!" She snatched up her jacket and rushed back to the woman, all the while apologizing profusely.

The light-haired Jedi chuckled. "It's all right, it hasn't started _yet_. I wouldn't wake you up if you hadn't time to get ready and get there. I don't believe we've met," the woman remarked as she walked down the hallway with Tierra in tow. "My name is Tionne. You are the new Padawan who arrived yesterday, right?"

Tierra nodded. "I'm Tierra Arussa. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

Tionne studied Tierra's face for a few moments. "You're homesick, aren't you."

Tierra looked down and grimaced. "Does it show?"

"Only if you know what it looks like. You may have been told this before, but like most wounds, it will heal with time and leave you all the stronger for it. The Jedi are a family, and now you are a part of our family."

Tierra's shoulders slumped as they climbed the stairs to the upper level. "But…I miss my _own_ family."

"I know…" Tionne replied. "You are from Corellia, correct? A planet of great adventurers?" The young Padawan nodded. "So…think of this as your greatest adventure yet, the one you were always meant to have."

"Right now, I'm not so sure I _want_ an adventure," Tierra mumbled, but by then, they were at the Chamber and she became so noticeably engrossed in her surroundings that Tionne didn't bother to formulate a reply.

Tierra looked around in awe. The Chamber was easily the largest room she had ever been in. Its monolithic stone architecture gave it an air of stately regality. On impulse, she looked up. The ceiling was nearly hidden in darkness, a hundred meters above her head. Contributing to the vast feel of the room was its emptiness—the only other inhabitants beside herself and Tionne were about one hundred people gathered around the large platform at the other end of the great hall. As she and Tionne approached, she could see that Master Skywalker was standing in front of the group; he seemed to be addressing them. There was no mistaking his tousled gold hair and piercing blue eyes as he looked up and smiled. "All right, let's begin," he stated simply, ascending the dais and turning to face the group.

Tierra grinned back in relief—he hadn't mentioned she was late, although it was painfully obvious. No wonder he was a Jedi Master. They were wise beyond compare, and with wisdom came compassion. At least, that was how she always pictured them from reading their tales in the history books.

"May I have all of the new Padawans join me, please," Luke instructed. Tierra and about fifteen others, most of them older than herself, stepped forward.

Suddenly, Tierra felt herself step on a small bump in the floor, and then she heard a small, faint "ouch!" She jumped and looked down in alarm to see that she had stepped on a toe of a small, green, bipedal creature with a slight frame, backwards-jointed legs, and little beady eyes set in a long, thin face, who was examining its foot carefully. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Tierra apologized. "Are you okay?"

The little alien looked up at her. "A-are you speaking to me?" it squeaked in a small, soft voice that was recognizably female.

Tierra nodded. "Did I hurt you?"

"Oh…I'm all right," the alien replied. "It'll stop hurting in a moment, I'm sure…"

"You mean it still hurts? That's no good," Tierra responded. "I'm sorry." She immediately regretted bringing the clunky repulsorskates. The alien was still staring at her in surprise. "…What?"

"N-nobody's ever…apologized to me before…"

Now it was Tierra's turn to stare. She knew she would meet Jedi from all sorts of cultures and walks of life, but did this one really come from a world where no apologies were spoken? She didn't have much time to meditate on the point, however, for Master Skywalker was speaking again.

"I'd like to thank you for joining us in this praxeum," Luke said, gazing intently at his new recruits. "I hope none of you were expecting anything fancy. I don't mean to demonstrate any power here—I'd like you to find that in yourselves, eventually. But more important than power is knowing how to use it, and that's what you'll be learning to do here." He paced up and down the row, looking at the faces shining with optimism and determination in front of him. "I trust you've gotten to know the other students over breakfast. I think it would be appropriate at this time to let the Knights choose their Padawans. After all, I can't teach you all myself," he finished with a grin before stepping back.

Murmurs rippled through the group below. Tierra looked around at all of the strange faces—some stranger than others, as she wasn't sure she recognized at least half of the species present. She wondered how, exactly, selecting a Padawan worked. Finally, a younger man with dark hair and somber grey eyes stepped forward; he looked about as old as Master Skywalker himself. "I would like to take Siri Tachi and Ackoy as my Padawan apprentices," he announced.

"I _knew_ it!" a young female voice squealed from down the row. Tierra watched as a Human girl her own age skipped merrily down the steps, her long blonde hair flouncing behind her as she joined her new Jedi master. From the way she looked up at him knowingly, they seemed to already have been acquainted. "Come along, Ackoy!" she called merrily. "We can't keep Lukatz—I mean, Master Arbalest waiting!"

The tall Mon Calamari who had been standing next to her heaved a sigh and trudged down the steps. "It is an honor to serve under you, Master," he said with a bow.

"Oh, stuff the formalities, Ackoy!" the girl said, giving the alien a rather painful-looking jab in the ribs. "We're all friends here!"

"I was told being a Jedi was _all_ formality..." Ackoy simply muttered, rubbing his side.

"You know each other?" the man queried.

"Yep!" Siri chirped. "Ackoy here arrived on the same transport ship as I did! We're from the same sector, you know. He's from Mon Calamari, _obviously_, and you wouldn't know the planet I'm from. It's too remote. Growing up there was tough, but…" She placed her hands on her hips and threw back her hair dramatically. "I survived."

Tierra wasn't quite sure what to think of this girl's strange behaviour. It certainly reminded her of quite a few of her classmates back home—the ones she had never cared to associate with. Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand clasping her shoulder. She swiveled around to see Master Skywalker's blue eyes looking into her own. "Tierra, if you don't mind, I'd like to have you as my Padawan," he said with a grin.

Tierra's eyes grew wide. "D-do you really mean it?" she gulped. "It would be an honor, sir—err, Master! Master Skywalker!" The term had a pleasant ring to it and slipped off of her tongue with ease. She couldn't help but smile back. She'd felt a sense of camaraderie towards Luke since they had met—she had almost come to think of him as her surrogate father, of sorts. And now he was to be her teacher, her mentor as she learned the ways of the Force.

"Now I have to apologize in advance," he cautioned, "but I won't be able to be with you all of the time. As you may know, I often have other business to attend to that takes me away from my duties at the praxeum, but rest assured, during those periods you'll be in the capable hands of one of my veteran Knights. I hope to be able to teach you much in what time I do get to spend with you, though."

Tierra nodded, dazed with enthusiasm and at a loss for words. This wouldn't be so bad after all; having a master would be a lot like having a parent. She would be looked after.

"I'll take that one," a gruff voice suddenly spoke out. Tierra turned around to see an older, mustachioed man, dressed in what appeared to be mining attire and sporting goggles. He was pointing at the small alien next to her, who gulped and stepped back. An awkward silence followed, and the man cocked a bushy eyebrow. Finally, the little alien shuffled forward, down the stairs, and stopped at what must have been an acceptable distance to her—five feet away from her new master.

"I'm Streen, you are…?" he inquired.

"B-B-Bynk J-Jes," came the stammered response.

"You're a Pydyrian, aren't you?"

Bynk nodded hesitantly. "Y-yes…"

"Well…it's good to have you as my apprentice. I hope we can learn a lot from each other." Streen extended a hand to Bynk, who reluctantly took it and offered a weak, half-hearted shake before withdrawing it quickly, as if it were uncomfortable for her to touch people.

Tierra watched with concern. Were all Pydyrians like this? Was Bynk ill, perhaps? "Is she all right?" she whispered to her master.

"She's extremely shy," Luke responded. "Didn't say a word for the entire flight here, I've been told. I think being with Streen will be good for her. He's not too chumly with people either, maybe they'll get along better because of that."

One by one, the others were chosen by their respective masters, and Luke adjourned the ceremony so that the new pairings could spend the rest of the day becoming familiar with each other. They gradually spread out, although many remained in the Chamber to converse with each other.

"You'll notice that most of the Knights have more than one Padawan," Luke pointed out to Tierra. "It seems like I always have more new recruits on my hands than seasoned Jedi. This place has really grown in three years. Of course, it's nowhere as big as the Order must have been before the war…" he mused. "Some day it will be, though." He pointed to the threesome of Lukatz, Siri, and Ackoy; Siri was chatting away at Lukatz's side while Ackoy seemed somewhat distanced, kept only in proximity by Siri's arm wrapped around his. "Lukatz there was only knighted last week. I think he's been eager to take on apprentices."

Luke then motioned to the other side of the room, where Bynk was sitting with her master. The man seemed to be questioning her, but Bynk would only respond in terse, mumbled replies. "Streen was one of my first students," Luke explained. "He's not really that social, so I was surprised when he decided to take an apprentice. Maybe he can bring Bynk out of her shell. I think she's had it rough for most of her life...but she has great potential."

Tierra looked around the room at the myriad students and teachers, finally coming back to the threesome of Lukatz, Siri, and Ackoy. Her eyes caught Siri's, and the blonde Human strutted over to Tierra and Luke, dragging a disgruntled Ackoy behind her. "Hi there, I don't believe we've met! I'm Siri Tachi!" she announced, sticking out her hand. Tierra shook it cautiously. "You've heard of my namesake, haven't you?"

Tierra shook her head. Was she supposed to? She didn't recall reading about a Siri Tachi in the history books.

"What? Well…I guess if you're from some backwater planet, I wouldn't be surprised." Tierra wanted to point out that she was from Corellia, but Siri didn't seem to be interested in leaving pauses in between her sentences for others to respond. "Anyway, the _original_ Siri, my great-aunt, was an amazing hero of the Old Republic, and a most venerable Jedi, just like I'm going to be. Oh, I can't believe Master Skywalker picked _you _as an apprentice! You're awfully lucky, you know. The Force must have chosen you!"

Tierra could only nod, slightly confused.

"Of course, I'm perfectly happy with Lukatz as my master," Siri continued. "I expect to learn a lot from him. Oh, this is Ackoy," she said, thrusting the Mon Calamari forward. "We're best friends." From the look on Ackoy's face, Tierra never would have guessed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, erm…Tierra, was it?" Ackoy said, bowing in greeting.

Tierra returned the bow. "Nice to meet you too, Siri, Ackoy." She offered her hand to Ackoy, who shook it, but when Tierra attempted to move her arm away, she found that her hand was stuck to his.

"Oops, sorry about that," he said, flexing his fingers slightly. Tierra's palm popped off of his own, revealing the presence of three suction cups on the inside of the fishlike alien's hand. "It happens sometimes."

"No problem," Tierra replied with a chuckle. Back home, she had never really had the chance to interact with many members of non-Human species—she was eager to see what she could learn from them.

Siri pulled Ackoy away and began chattering with Luke about something Force-related, but Tierra's thoughts turned to Bynk, as she watched the Pydyrian becoming increasingly nervous in the presence of Streen. Finally, Tierra excused herself from the group and made her way over to the pair.

"How are you doing, Bynk?" Tierra asked, seating herself on the floor beside the diminutive Padawan.

"I…erm…well…" Bynk sighed and ran a long finger absentmindedly across the cracks in the stone floor.

"Are you afraid?" Tierra looked up at Streen, who seemed to be silently urging her to continue. "Master Streen won't hurt you, I promise. He's going to be your teacher—you can think of him as a father, if you want—er, I mean, if that's okay with you, Master Streen…"

Streen nodded. "I think I can handle it," he replied with a grin. "Listen, Bynk. I can sense your fear, your doubts. I can hear you pretty loudly in my mind right now."

Bynk looked up, surprised and confused. "You…can? But…how?"

"Let me tell you something." His keen eyes met hers. "Do you want to know why I chose you as my Padawan?"

The Pydyrian thought for a moment before nodding slowly.

"I used to hear the thoughts and feelings of others all the time…whether I wanted to or not. It nearly drove me crazy. However…with Master Skywalker's help, I finally learned how to control the Force within me. I learned how to tune that part of it out as easily as you switch off a comlink." He paused to see if Bynk was still following. She nodded again, and so he continued. "But…when I saw the Padawans standing up there, your thoughts…well, they bombarded me. They called out to me so loudly and clearly, I knew the Force was making a connection between us."

"Oh…I'm sorry my thoughts inconvenience you so…" Bynk said, hanging her head.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," Streen replied hastily. "Admittedly, I haven't had anything like this happen since I learned to control the Force. But I sort of…like it. Probably because it's not the thoughts of a million sentients all at once. But I also take it as something of a sign. After all, it's a wonderful way for me to look out for you, don't you think?"

Bynk flashed a weak smile. "I…I hope I can be a good pupil for you, sir."

"I'm sure you will be!" Tierra said, patting Bynk on the shoulder. "Master Skywalker said you have great potential!"

Bynk looked up at the Human girl, eyes wide. "He…he really said that?" Her gaze wandered across the room until it rested on Luke, who was conversing with a Rodian Jedi and her excitable Bothan Padawan. "He…thinks I have potential…he is so wonderful…"

"Uhm…Bynk?" Tierra waved her hand in front of the Pydyrian, who was completely fixated on Master Skywalker.

"Oh…I'm sorry," Bynk said, shaking her head. "I…lost myself for a moment there..."


	2. Chapter 2

New Jedi Team

Growing Pains

Chapter 2: Tra'ave

The next day, Master Skywalker had the new Padawans taken aside by their masters for the most basic of Force training. They were sitting cross-legged atop the temple wall, the morning sun obscured by a light cloud layer through which the large, orange disc of Yavin occasionally peeked.

Tierra couldn't help but look out at the expansive jungle canopy, an endless sea of green through which the tips of several other structures in the temple complex protruded like islands. And then she made the mistake of looking down. She grimaced and lurched, but was held back by Luke's hand on her shoulder.

"It only bothers you if you let it," he advised her.

Tierra nodded. "Right…it doesn't bother me, it doesn't bother me…" she repeated, trying to keep her body from freezing up. The truth was, it _did_ bother her, much more than she'd like to admit. She had fallen from a roof once when she was younger, and it was enough to convince her that heights were something to stay well away from. Finally, she decided to turn her back to the edge and face the rest of the group.

The Padawans she had met yesterday were there as well; Lukatz was seated firmly between a smug Siri and a somewhat bored-looking Ackoy, while Bynk was sitting tentatively close to Streen.

"Good wind today," Streen commented. Bynk nodded subserviently, even as she tried to keep the brisk breeze from blowing her thin black hair all over her face.

"Thank you for being here," Master Skywalker said, hushing the group as all eyes turned to him. "The Force flows strongly through all of us, and in order to be able to use it effectively, we have to understand how to feel and recognize it. Many of you have probably used the Force before, although it may have been more of a gut reaction or an impulse."

"Oh!" Siri waved her hand in the air enthusiastically. "I know all about the Force, Master Skywalker! My mother taught me about it and I've used it since I was little! In fact, I once defeated an entire fleet of space pirates by commandeering a planetary cannon and using the Force to target their ships before they even reached the atmosphere!"

"…Is that right," Luke commented offhandedly, regarding the girl with a bemused grin and a twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Yup! And there was this other time, I was ambushed by a nasty gang of Trandoshans, and I used the Force to throw them right into a garbage transport! And I also managed to mind-trick a famous Ithorian thief into giving back everything he'd stolen!"

"Er…has anyone else had previous experiences with the Force?" Luke queried, looking around at the others, while Siri appeared poised to relate another anecdote.

Tierra sat up. "Uh, well, there was this one time, when I was just a kid. Somebody dared me to go up on the roof of the school, and I did it to show them I wasn't a coward. But when I was climbing back down, I slipped and fell…I threw out my hands, and…the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, safe. The other kids said that they saw me float down like I was controlling my fall. That's…really all I've got," she finished quickly. However, she immediately knew she had spoken too soon, for there was something else, something interesting, although she wasn't sure whether it was actually related to the Force or not.

A Klatoonian Padawan related his experiences with telepathy, and an Aqualish explained her uncanny blaster aim; finally, Tierra felt she ought to speak up again. "There…there is something else," she began.

"Really?" Luke responded.

"Yeah…although I don't know if it was the Force…but I don't really understand how the Force works, so maybe… Well, anyway, there was this one time I was having difficulty accessing the HoloNet, and I didn't really know what else to do since my dad was still at work, so I kind of put my hand on the machine and sort of…asked it to fix itself. And it did." She scrunched her face up in thought. "I can't really remember much about it."

"Intriguing…" Luke said. "That's really interesting, Tierra. I think I'll look into that with you later."

"And once some sleemo tried to mug me, but I took care of him pretty quickly by making him think his _lekku_ were on fire!" Siri continued proudly.

"Erm, that's enough, Siri," Lukatz said gently.

"But I wasn't done yet!" Siri replied before reluctantly settling down. Meanwhile, Ackoy let out an audible groan and massaged his temples.

"Now then…I want us all to sit quietly, close our eyes, breathe deeply, and try to feel the Force flow through us," Luke instructed. "This is the most basic form of meditation, and it will serve you well for the rest of your life. You can use it to focus and clear your mind and calm yourself."

"Master Skywalker!!" Siri chirped, waving her hand anxiously. "When do we get to use lightsabers? I've been trained in lightsaber combat since I was eight, you know, and—"

"Not for a while," Luke admitted quickly. "We'll get to lightsabers when you're good and ready. For now, let's stick with the basics."

Tierra nodded. She sat back, relaxed, and focused on feeling the Force. Unwillingly, thoughts and memories surged through her mind—most of them were related to her family. She felt a twinge of guilt at letting them linger; would it really be so bad to just sit there and think about them? No one needed to know she wasn't concentrating on the Force…right? _Neg, don't be stupid, _she reminded herself. _I won't let Master Skywalker down. Sorry, guys… _She dismissed the happy faces of her parents and brothers and instead imagined the Force moving in her body with each breath she took.

The mental phantoms were not to be beaten so easily, however. They rebounded with even greater might, pounding Tierra with a million reminiscences of home and family and the _way life was_. She pleaded with herself to stop, but her mind was relentless and cruel, and finally her heart gave way and the stinging tears began to fall. She knew how stupid she must have looked, and of course that just made her more miserable and made the tears flow more abundantly. With a shuddering sob, she leaned her face into Master Skywalker's arm.

"Are you all right?" he asked, pulling her back with sudden alarm and surveying her tear-streaked face.

Tierra shook her head and tried to gulp down the awful lump in her throat. "I'm sorry…I just…miss my family really badly." With that, she began to cry openly.

"Whatever happened to 'there is no emotion, there is peace'?" Siri remarked dryly. A surprisingly piercing glare from Luke (and many of the other Jedi) practically ensured she would be silent for the duration of the session; Ackoy looked positively vindicated at this turn of events. Lukatz merely grimaced.

"Now, now, we're all friends here," Luke reminded the onlookers, "and friends help each other work through their problems. I'll bet most of you Padawans are feeling pretty homesick right now, too." Many of the others nodded, especially the younger students.

Siri looked desperately as if it were vital to her survival to add her two credits to everything everyone said, but one glance at Master Skywalker's expression merely left her sighing resignedly.

"Let me tell you this," Luke said, his face grave. "You're not obligated to stay here. If you feel like the life of a Jedi isn't for you, then you can go back home to your old lives and pretend none of this ever happened. But if you do stay, you'll be fulfilling your true potential. You'll be living a life beyond your wildest dreams and doing things you never thought possible, to better the galaxy and to better yourselves."

The words soaked into Tierra's mind. Did she really want to be a Jedi? she asked within herself. Yes, oh yes, it was all she could think of since she first met Master Skywalker. Even if it meant losing her family? She wasn't so sure of that… Suddenly, she blinked, realizing that her face was still buried in Luke's sleeve. Hastily, she sat up, wiping drying tears away. "I'm sorry, Master," she mumbled.

"Don't worry about it, Tierra," Luke replied with a grin. "Almost everyone here has felt the same way as you. I remember homesickness. I used to live with my aunt and uncle on a moisture farm on Tatooine, when I wasn't much older than you."

"Really?" Tierra looked up at him in surprise. Somehow, she just couldn't imagine him as anything else than a heroic pilot and a venerable Jedi Master. The idea of Master Skywalker as a desert farm boy was amusing to the point of cracking a small grin on her face.

Luke nodded. "And you know what? I was _miserable_ there. I felt like Uncle Lars was always holding me back from what I wanted to be, what I knew I _could_ be if I could just get the chance. And then that restriction was removed and I was free…but freedom was more than I had anticipated, precisely because it _was_ freedom. It was the unknown, it was unfamiliarity, and familiarity is always the more comfortable option no matter how great the advantages of the unfamiliar."

"Is that a Jedi proverb?" Ackoy interjected.

"Oh, no," Luke laughed, "just a bit of wisdom I've picked up over the years. Think about it for a bit."

"I…" Tierra blinked as her thoughts ran circles in her head. She sighed. "I won't give up. I want to be a great Jedi, like you…and I want to make my family proud." As the words left her mouth, she wondered just how her family felt about her new life. Her parents had been extremely supportive, but would they love her any less if she arrived back on their doorstep after only a few weeks away from home—without even becoming a Knight, without accomplishing _anything?_ Would her mother hold her close and whisper that everything was all right, or would she see bitter disappointment in her father's eyes, disappointment that his daughter had foregone the greatest opportunity anyone in the family had ever been given? It was all so confusing. _Two more weeks,_ he had said during their communication earlier in the morning. _Give it two more weeks, Tierra, and if you still want to go home I'll pay for the shuttle back._ It would be the longest two weeks of her life, she felt.

"You're dismissed for now," Luke said, snapping Tierra back to reality. "Practice your meditation as often as you can; it will serve you well. I suggest you take the rest of the day to receive instruction from your masters and get to know them better; oh, and get some lunch while you're at it," he called to the retreating students. "The same goes for you," he added to Tierra with a knowing grin.

***

Tierra peered cautiously down at her plate—none of the food was familiar. As she gazed out at the other students in the cafeteria, she noted that no two dishes looked alike; the food variety seemed to be just as diverse as the eaters. At least she had never been picky, she reminded herself as she began nibbling a peculiar-looking vegetable that had a rather crisp and watery taste.

"Mind if I join you?" a voice came from above.

She looked over her shoulder to see Ackoy holding a plate and waiting for a response. "Oh…sure."

He obligingly took a seat next to her, surveying her food choices. "Ah, a fan of the cellu-slug, eh? It's quite a delicacy back on Dac."

Tierra stared wide-eyed at what she thought was a dessert and felt her appetite noticeably diminish. Perhaps she was rather picky, after all.

Ackoy chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm sure there's plenty here to cater to Humans as well. If you don't want that slug, I'll take it," he added as an afterthought. Tierra cautiously peeled it from her own plate and dumped it unceremoniously on his. "So, what planet are you from?" the Mon Calamari asked between bites of his own lunch.

"Corellia," Tierra replied.

"Nice. Never been there. Hear there's more Humans than you can shake a fin at, though."

Tierra smiled and nodded. "It's mostly Humans there. There were only a few aliens in my classes every year. How about you, where're you from?"

"Dac, the Mon Cal homeworld. I'm from the capitol, actually. It's a beautiful place." The two sat in silence for a few minutes, each contemplating their meals. Finally, Ackoy spoke up again. "I'm sorry you're homesick," he commented before starting on the cellu-slug.

"I'll be okay," Tierra said, hoping to convince herself of the fact as well.

"You know, my dad has a saying that he tells me all the time," Ackoy added. "In fact, I'm pretty positive it's become his mantra. He always says, 'Life ebbs and flows like the tides.'"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tierra wondered.

"Well, you know how tides work, right? The sea moves up and down due to the shifting gravitational influence of the moon or moons of a planet. I guess what my father was trying to say is that life is a lot like that. We all have our ups and downs, good times and bad times, happiness and pain. It's like a cycle. When you're feeling down on your luck, just remember that that luck could turn around at any moment. On the flip side, though, often it's just when you think life is going perfectly that it all comes crashing down around you," Ackoy explained.

"Wow Ackoy, you're really smart," Tierra said, eyes wide.

The Mon Calamari laughed. "Nah, I just read too much." His smile froze, however, when Siri sat down next to him.

"_There_ you are!" she sighed with mock exasperation. "I've been looking _everywhere_ for you!"

"Oh, joy…" Ackoy muttered.

"Lukatz told me to find you," she continued authoritatively. "He probably wanted me to make sure you weren't fooling around. Being a Jedi means constant focus, you know!" She waved her fork naggingly at him. He rolled his large eyes, but she didn't seem to notice.

"I thought we were supposed to address him as 'Master Arbalest'," Ackoy pointed out.

"Well, _technically_ we are, but that just sounds so stuffy, you know?" Siri giggled. "Come on, lighten up! Like Luke said, we're all friends here, right Tierra?"

Tierra was caught off guard. She wasn't sure she wanted to be included in this conversation. "Uhm…well…" She looked from Siri to Ackoy, and back again. "We _are_ friends, but…part of friendship is giving respect where it's due…or something like that…" she trailed off uncertainly. "They're not just friends, they're teachers…and adults."

"Oh, not you too!" Siri huffed.

"Besides, you call him 'Master' to his face anyway," Ackoy commented.

"Well, yes, but that's because I want him to see what a loyal and diligent Padawan I am, don't you understand? Honestly, Ackoy, sometimes I wonder if you have _any_ sense of amity."

"You also get this weird, giggly tone in your voice every time you talk to him. And I've caught you staring at him several times."

"One learns best by observation, my dear Ackoy! _Surely_ you know that! Oh, how do you _ever_ expect to become a valiant Jedi Knight with _that_ sort of attitude?"

"'Observation'…_right_."

The mention of Luke's name, however, had given Tierra a chance for escape. "I'm sorry, but I should go meet with Master Skywalker for more training," she said, excusing herself gladly from the situation. She did feel a bit guilty about leaving Ackoy alone with Siri the Royal Terror…but her Jedi training _was_ rather important.

***

The following week busied the new Padawans with orientation as they grew accustomed to their surroundings and schedules. Tierra was pleased to see Bynk now following Streen around with all the tentative eagerness of a Corellian canoid-puppy, while Siri still kept a relentless hold on Ackoy's figurative ear and caused no small grief for anyone who stood in her way—including Lukatz. Tierra had even gotten to speak with her family during gaps in activity, although she was still undecided on whether those communications had abated the homesickness or made it worse—they seemed to do both. And every night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, she found herself overwhelmed with heartache for the life she had left behind. Then, one morning, after another session of basic Force training, Master Skywalker asked Tierra to meet with him after lunch.

"…Master Skywalker?" Tierra called out, tentatively approaching Luke's quarters. She was greeted with a series of cheerful whistles from R2-D2 as he wheeled about his business. "Morning, Artoo," she said. She had become familiar with the little droid, as he was Luke's close companion and often made rounds in the praxeum, visiting the students.

"Oh, good, you came," Luke said, rounding the corner as he attached his lightsaber to his belt. "I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me on a small errand."

Tierra nodded excitedly. "Sure, I would love to!" She tagged along as Luke led her through corridors and down stairs until they emerged into the bright sunlight and warm, sticky air of the outside world, and then plunged into the thick, lush jungle surrounding the praxeum. A twinge of fear plucked at Tierra's heartstrings. "There's nothing…dangerous out here, is there?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Luke replied. "But I have to be honest with you, being a Jedi is often about danger. Our job is to bring peace to the galaxy, which means going to those places that are without it." Seeing the worried look on Tierra's face, his expression softened. "But don't worry about that. You'll gain a lot of knowledge and experience here, and there's safety in knowledge and experience. It's when you overestimate yourself and get in over your head that true danger manifests. One of the key things a Jedi learns is how to take control of a situation—any situation. Anyway, here we are." He stopped abruptly and knelt near a small box with several antennae sticking out of it and an amber light that blinked periodically. "This is one of the machines in our security relay grid," Luke explained. "We have them placed in proximity to the praxeum so we can find trouble before it finds us. This one seems to be malfunctioning, however, and I would like to see if you can fix it."

Puzzled, Tierra crouched near the relay transmitter and inspected it. "Er…I don't think I know anything about this," she confessed. "I've never even seen one of these before."

"Don't worry about _knowing_," Luke said. "Try to repair it like you did your HoloNet reciever at home."

Tierra looked up at her master, realization dawning in her mind. "Ohhhh…okay, I'll give it a try."

"Do or do not; there is no try," Luke recited with a grin.

"Err…what?"

"Jedi proverb," Master Skywalker explained, "taught to me by an old friend. Believe in yourself, believe in the Force, and you can accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible."

Tierra nodded. She took a few deep breaths, then pressed her hand to the side of the transmitter and closed her eyes, continuing the deep breathing so that she could begin to feel the Force moving through her, as her master had taught her. The young Padawan decided to try to channel the Force through her hand and into the machine. To her surprise, she suddenly felt as if her very life energies were extending into the transmitter, past its casing, weaving their way into its circuitry until she almost felt that the machine was an appendage of herself. The experience initially frightened her, and she could feel her energy recoil in response, but soon excitement and curiosity overwhelmed fear, and she reached further inward. As she was doing this, she found herself having a mental one-sided conversation, more to guide herself through what she was doing than to attempt any communication with the machine, which was decidedly non-sentient. _Let's see, what do we have here…the transmissions coding…the frequency modulation…all seems to be functioning properly…_

Her energies poked and prodded around the various areas of the transmitter's programming; nothing felt out of the ordinary (at least that was her hunch, as she had no clear idea what "ordinary" was in this sort of situation, just a vague sensation that things felt right). _Ah—there it is. _Her energies had stopped abruptly; there seemed to be some sort of anomaly present. It almost felt like a "gap" in the programming. Well, she had found the problem, she supposed, and now there wasn't much left to do but fix it, but how would she go about that? After a moment's thought, she decided to try to "weld" the gap, pushing it back together and reforming bonds using her own energy. Instantly after she had finished this course of action, Tierra felt a "realignment" of sorts as the programming fell back into place. Quickly gathering her energy back inside of her, she opened her eyes. The amber light was now glowing steadily. "Whoa," she breathed, sitting back and suddenly feeling like she had gone a night without sleep.

"That was excellent," Luke commented. "I believe you've tapped into an aspect of the Force that I've certainly never seen before. I'll have to ask Tionne if there are any records in the archives of something like this." He looked down at his Padawan, who smiled up at him weakly. "Hmm, looks like it tired you out quite a bit. Maybe I should have you practice with less complicated—" He was interrupted by shouts and crashing sounds in the distance, and they sounded like they were rapidly approaching.

Tierra stood up, now fully awakened by adrenaline. "What's that?" she whispered, eyes wide.

"Stay close," Luke muttered, his hand moving instinctively to his lightsaber.

Out of the underbrush burst three figures. Two of them, a Cathar and a Duros, were armed with vibroblades, dressed in haphazard armor, with grim-set faces. But what had immediately caught Tierra's attention was the third: a yellow-skinned Twi'lek clothed in a tattered robe, battered and bruised, who staggered away from the other two aliens and collapsed at Luke's and Tierra's feet.

"Now, boys, what seems to be the problem here?" Luke asked calmly. Tierra stood her ground as well—Jedi were supposed to be fearless, and even if she hadn't quite reached that level she might as well act the part. She looked down at the Twi'lek; he was prone, but seemed to still be breathing. She couldn't help but grimace as she noticed that the last half of his right _lekku_ was completely gone, though it seemed to be an old wound, long since scarred over.

"This filthy Koros-rat thought he could stow away in our ship," the Cathar growled. "He thought wrong."

"So stay out of this and let us finish the job," the Duros spat at Luke, swinging his vibroblade impatiently.

Luke chuckled. "A stowaway, huh? Why don't you just go back to what you were doing and forget about him," he suggested. Was it Tierra's imagination, or did he move his hand in a slight gesture as he spoke? "Tierra, grab the Twi'lek," he muttered quickly under his breath.

Tierra nodded, kneeling down and attempting to prop the fallen alien up onto her shoulder; no small task, considering he was substantially taller than she was, although as she got a better look at him he seemed to be not much older than she. Without warning, his eyelids snapped open, revealing frighteningly intense eyes with bright red irises that felt like they were burning right through Tierra's own cool blue eyes. They bored into her, seemingly searching for something, and she was simultaneously paralyzed and entranced.

The Duros seemed momentarily dazed, but his comrade elbowed him and shook him out of it. "I thought we told you to stay out of this," the Cathar warned, stepping toward the trio. "Or are you taking _his_ side now?" He glared vindictively down at the fallen alien.

The Duros's patience finally wore out. With a cry, he propelled himself forward, vibroblade raised to cut Luke down, snapping Tierra and the Twi'lek out of their strange reverie. They watched as Luke stretched out his hand and the aliens were thrown back by an invisible force—no, _the_ Force, Tierra recognized. With one swift movement, he stepped forward, grabbed his lightsaber, and ignited it, the clean green energy blade humming authoritatively in the stillness of the jungle. "Now then," Luke said to the prostrate spacers, "do either of you want to try that again?"

"J-jedi!!" the Duros yelped; he and his companion scrambled back into the underbrush. They were smart enough to know when they were outmatched.

With that problem out of the way, Luke turned his attention to the young Twi'lek, assisting Tierra in getting him to his feet. "Are you all right?" Master Skywalker asked.

"Nnngh…" the alien groaned, unable to say more.

"Let's get him back to the praxeum," Luke instructed Tierra. "Cilghal can help him."

Together, they managed to walk the barely-conscious boy out of the jungle, his arms around their shoulders. Tierra felt like Luke was really doing most of the work, since she felt so tired she could barely stand. Repairing the transmitter really had taken a lot out of her, but at least she had fixed it; that was good. "You—you'll be okay," she assured the Twi'lek, though she found the words difficult to say. He intimidated her somehow, and yet she also felt drawn to him, almost responsible for him in a way. He did not respond, only scrunched up his face in pain as he stumbled over an errant root.

***

"Luke, Luke, Luke," Cilghal said teasingly, "how many times must I tell you not to bring in strays?"

Master Skywalker smiled doggedly as he handed the young Twi'lek over to the female Mon Calamari. "Sorry Cilghal, I guess I just keep finding them."

Tierra watched as Cilghal moved with the seasoned expertise of a Jedi healer, laying the Twi'lek down and removing his outer clothing while applying bacta patches to his wounds. The young Human flinched—the Twi'lek's muscular back was crisscrossed with long, sinuous scars.

"Looks like those have been there a while," Cilghal commented sadly. She moved to pick up his gimp _lekku. _"And this—"

"Don't touch that," he suddenly said, startling her into dropping it; the unexpected sound of his strong, deep voice made Tierra jump as well.

"So you're awake," Cilghal observed calmly. "That's good. You've taken a pretty severe beating."

"I know," was the emotionless, matter-of-fact reply.

Cilghal was unfazed, or at least appeared to be. Healers had a certain demeanor to keep up, after all. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, not unless you want me to refer to you as Patient Number 617214," the Mon Cal retorted dryly.

The Twi'lek thought for a moment. "Tra'ave. It's Tra'ave." He moved his head around until his sights were set on Luke and Tierra—there were those red eyes again, the ones that Tierra felt could pierce her very soul. "I saw what you did back there," he said to Luke. "Ahh!" he hissed as Cilghal poked and prodded him for further injury.

"Ooh, looks like you've got a fractured tibia," the healer said, pulling off a pair of sensor goggles. "It's a pretty nasty break, too."

"I'm surprised he's conscious, considering how much pain he must be in," Luke remarked, causing a new wave of worry to wash over Tierra. She'd never broken a bone before, so she could only imagine how he must have been feeling.

"He'll be okay, right?" she meekly asked Cilghal.

The Mon Calamari nodded. "This'll require a bit more than bacta, though. And it might hurt for just a moment," she added as an aside to Tra'ave.

"I don't think it could possibly hurt any _more_," was his honest response.

Cilghal smiled bitterly, then closed her eyes as she placed her hands on the Twi'lek's leg. Tierra felt the faintest inkling of something stirring within the healer—this must have been her renowned Force healing in action.

A few seconds later, Cilghal removed her hands and looked at Tra'ave, who had been watching her in utter astonishment and was now feeling his mended shin in disbelief. "There we are. It shouldn't trouble you any—"

"Teach me how to do that," he interrupted pointedly. It wasn't a question; it was a demand.

"I beg your pardon?" Cilghal looked at him quizzically. "It's a Force ability, you can't do something like that unless you're Force-sensitive—"

"I saw what he did," Tra'ave restated, motioning to Luke, his voice broiling with understated intensity. "I can do that too. Is that this 'Force' of which you speak?"

Cilghal looked up at Luke, confusion written all over her face. "Er…should I run a midichlorian count, Master Skywalker?"

"I don't see why not," Luke replied. "Wouldn't hurt."

Tra'ave watched Cilghal with burning eyes as she took a blood sample and held the scanner aloft in surprise, both of her large eyes riveted on the results. "Luke, his midichlorian count is…substantially high."

Tierra smiled at Tra'ave. She'd had her midichlorian count tested too, and was told that it was in the high range as well, a fact of which she was privately most pleased. He made no effort to return the smile, but merely stared at her curiously, not speaking a word. It was beginning to get uncomfortable, when Luke thankfully intervened. "What do you say, Tra'ave? Would you like to join the Jedi Order?"

If Tra'ave recognized the term, he did not show it. "I do not know what that is…but please," he turned to Cilghal, "teach me to do what you just did. Teach me to heal, to mend. Please."

"Err…" Cilghal looked away from his pleading eyes. "You know, there's a lot more to the Force than just healing—"

"Please. I just want to know how to heal. _Please._" To Tierra, his eyes seemed almost aflame with emotion, redder than the brightest blaster bolt she had ever seen.

"Why not, Cilghal?" Luke cut in. "You said yourself the other day that you wanted a Padawan."

The Mon Calamari sighed. "Fine…welcome to the Jedi Order, Tra'ave. You're my Padawan now, so that means I'll be your teacher, got it?"

The Twi'lek nodded gravely. "Yes, Cilghal."

"Make that Master Cilghal," she corrected. This was a bad mistake on her part, however, as he immediately rose up, incensed, towering over her.

"_No_," he proclaimed in a voice that, although not particularly loud, reeked of hurt. "No 'master'."

"O-okay, fine, fine…just Cilghal," she said quickly, stepping away—this seemed to calm him down.

Tra'ave turned to Luke and Tierra again. "You are…Skywalker?" he asked Luke, who nodded. "Good…I'm in the right place. Thank you…for helping me."

***

"Let's get you registered in the praxeum's database," Luke said to Tra'ave once he had given him a basic explanation of the Jedi Order and of the Force—and a fresh set of Jedi robes. Tierra, meanwhile, had taken a well-earned nap. The two Jedi and their Padawans were now sitting in the library, which was filled with holocrons and other interesting artifacts—Tierra almost wished she could touch them, they looked so much like colorful playthings, but she knew that most of them were millennia old, and only to be used for their intended purposes.

"Just fill out your basic information." Luke handed Tra'ave a datapad and a stylus.

Tierra watched as the Twi'lek nonchalantly scrawled letters onto the datapad's surface. Something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it, until— "You're left-handed," she observed.

"What of it?" Tra'ave asked calmly.

"Oh—I dunno, I just…" Tierra fumbled. She didn't really know why she had pointed it out—perhaps to start a conversation, but Tra'ave didn't seem like one for conversation.

"Done," he said, handing the datapad back to Luke.

Master Skywalker scrolled through the form. "Er, Tra'ave, you haven't filled out all of your information. The only thing registered here is your name, species, and gender."

"That's all I've got," was the stoic reply.

"You mean you don't even know which planet you're from?" Cilghal sighed in disbelief. Tra'ave made no attempt to reply, only stared forward in silence. "Or are you just not telling us? Luke, come on. What if he's a spy?"

Luke shook his head. "I can see the sincerity in his eyes and sense it in his words. I'm sure if we give him reason to trust us, he'll open up eventually. Tra'ave, we don't want to cause you any more stress, but if there's anything you need to tell Cilghal or me, don't hesitate to do so. We won't judge you." The Twi'lek remained unresponsive, and Luke turned to his Padawan. "Tierra, do you feel like showing our new friend around? He needs to catch up on his orientation."

Tierra leapt up and nodded. "Natch!" Seeing Luke's puzzled expression, she giggled. "It's a spacer term, it means 'of course' or 'sure'."

"Ah, I see," Luke said with a grin. "It seems I still have a lot to learn from you."

"But I have even more to learn from you, Master Skywalker!" Tierra shot back, returning the smile. "Come on, Tra'ave, I'll introduce you to my friends."

***

The two roamed the halls of the praxeum, Tierra waving hellos to everyone they passed and giving them quick introductions to the newcomer Padawan. "…And that's Master Madurrin," she said, pointing out a long-headed alien who was busy conversing with her Rodian Padawan. Suddenly, the Twi'lek stopped cold and looked at Tierra. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Why do you refer to the adults as 'Master'?" Tra'ave asked, his face fraught with concern. "Are you a slave here?"

"Ah—no, no, of course not!" Tierra replied, surprised. "I'm a student, one who's just beginning to learn the ways of the Force. We're called Padawans. Once we've learned enough, we get promoted to Knights—I think Master Skywalker may have already told you that. We address Knights and Masters as 'Master' as a form of respect," she recited from what she had learned over the past week.

"Oh…" Tra'ave nodded slowly, taking in the information. "I understand now…thank you."

"Morning, Tierra," Streen said, rounding the corner. Behind him, Bynk waved shyly at Tierra before retreating at the sight of the tall, imposing Twi'lek beside her.

"Good morning, Master Streen! This is Tra'ave, he's a new Padawan here."

Streen moved to shake Tra'ave's hand, but the Twi'lek simply regarded the human with disinterest. "Sorry," Tierra apologized, "he's not really one for handshakes."

"That's all right, neither am I, to tell the truth," Streen replied. "I hope you learn much from your stay here, Tra'ave. This is my Padawan, Bynk Jes." He ushered the tiny Pydyrian forward, and she stared up with terror at the Twi'lek who was twice her height.

"I-it's n-nice to m-meet you…" she squeaked.

"It's okay Bynk, Tra'ave's a nice guy," Tierra reassured her. "He won't hurt you."

Whatever Tra'ave's reaction might have been was cut off by three more approaching figures.

"Hello there, fellow Jedi!" Siri announced, flanking Ackoy as they strode behind Lukatz.

"Morning," Ackoy added pathetically.

"Who's this?" Siri asked, looking up at Tra'ave curiously.

"His name is Tra'ave," Tierra said, "and he's a new Padawan here."

"Why doesn't he speak for himself?" Siri queried. "Is he mute?"

"Maybe I just don't feel like speaking," Tra'ave replied.

"Well, it's nice to see that you've found another friend here, Tierra," Siri continued, ignoring Tra'ave's comment. "After all, I'm so terribly busy that I won't _always_ have time for you, you know."

This confused Tierra—she wasn't exactly expecting Siri to constantly pay attention to her, and didn't particularly care if Siri was occupied, since Tierra often had plenty to do herself. The girl simply baffled her at times.

"It's nice to meet you," Lukatz said to an unresponsive Tra'ave. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we're heading outside for a training exercise." With a bow, he took his leave.

"I think I'll get to build a lightsaber before you, don't you think, Ackoy?" Siri could be heard saying as the three walked out of earshot.


	3. Chapter 3

New Jedi Team: Growing Pains

Chapter 3: First Mission

A few days later, Tierra was sitting in the communications room, watching Luke have a holographic conversation with a humanoid, reptilian alien. "So you see, Djurga has ample reason for concern, what with the swarms of pirates lurking around the Parmel sector," it was saying. "He's invested quite a bit in this spice shipment and he'd really hate to lose it."

"So you're asking for an escort?" Luke replied.

"Well…several escorts, if it's possible," the alien answered. "He wants to absolutely secure the shipment's arrival…especially because he'll be traveling with it to seal the deal. And as I'm sure you know, just about the only thing a Hutt values more than his wealth is his life."

"The same can be said for most species," Luke agreed.

"I know you Jedi usually have bigger things on your plate than a spice shipment, but Djurga thought mercenaries would be too much of a gamble—the price the spice is going to fetch would have been far more than they would be getting paid to protect it, and you know what they say, the way to a merc's heart is through his wallet."

Luke nodded. "Don't worry about it, we'll be happy to help you. I have plenty of Jedi here who are up for the task."

"Djurga thanks you, as do I," was the reply. "We're en route right now, and we can come pick them up in approximately twenty-six galactic standard hours. Good day." With that, the hologram blipped out.

Luke turned to Tierra, cradling his chin while he thought. "Seems like this Djurga fellow is pretty paranoid if he wants Jedi to guard his spice shipment," he mused.

"Maybe he just wants to make sure it's nice and safe," Tierra offered. "That guy did say that Djurga himself would be on board too."

"True…" Luke's thoughts were interrupted by another incoming transmission. He answered it, and the holographic figure of a dark-haired woman popped up. "Leia!" Luke cried in surprise. "How've you been?"

Leia's face was stern, however. "No time for pleasantries, Luke," she shot back, lips pursed. "Something's come up, and we need your help, _now_."

"How soon is now?" Luke asked, trying hard to hide the fact that his twin sister's expression when she was frustrating was terribly amusing.

"Start packing," was Leia's irate reply before the transmission shut off.

Luke turned back to Tierra and shrugged helplessly with a roguish grin. "Sisters…"

Tierra laughed. "Can I come, Master Skywalker?"

"Err…" Luke reached for the right words. "Well, remember how I said I'd have to go do things that may be a little too dangerous for you right now?" The Padawan nodded. "The Force is telling me that this is one of those times." Seeing the look of disappointment on her face, he patted her shoulder. "It won't always be like this, Tierra. I'll train you to be the best Jedi you can be, and someday you'll be able to fight by my side. For now, I'm giving Streen charge over you until I get back." Suddenly, his face lit up. "Hey, how about I assign Streen to this mission?" Luke suggested. "I think it'll be a good idea for you to get out and stretch your legs instead of being cooped up on this moon all the time. It'll take your mind off of your homesickness as well. You and Bynk are pretty good friends, I think you can help her out a lot too."

"Really?! That would be great, Master Skywalker!" Tierra hopped up in excitement, but then her countenance fell. "But…what about the pirates?"

"Remember what I told you the other day? You make your own danger through negligence. You've been incredibly diligent in your training. I trust you to keep yourself safe. Besides, Streen is one of my veteran Knights. He'll take excellent care of you."

Tierra nodded. "Thanks, Master Skywalker."

Luke leaned in close. "Besides, between you and me, I doubt you're going to have any trouble during the trip."

***

"Freighter's coming tomorrow," Streen remarked over dinner. Tierra was sitting with him and Bynk; meals were much easier once she had been told which food items were digestible by Humans.

"Master Streen, d-do you think we'll be okay with just the three of us?" Bynk asked as she poked at her tiny food portions. "Pirates sound…scary."

"Hm…" Streen stroked his greyed beard. "Hey, Lukatz!" he called out, spotting the dark-haired young Knight from across the room.

"Master Streen?" Lukatz jogged over, trailed by Siri and Ackoy, who waved their hellos to Tierra and Bynk.

"We've been assigned to guard a spice shipment heading to the Parmel sector," Streen explained. "If you're not occupied, would you and your Padawans like to join us?"

"Sure, I don't see why not," Lukatz replied. "Does that sound okay to you guys?" he asked his Padawans.

"It sounds more than 'okay', it sounds _fantastic_, Master Arbalest," Siri gushed. "I simply can't _wait_ for you to see me in action!"

Ackoy merely shrugged his approval.

Tierra absentmindedly tapped her plate with her fork, wondering if what she was about to suggest was feasible. "Um," she spoke out, "can Tra'ave come too? If Cilghal doesn't need him, I mean," she added quickly.

"Oh, the Twi'lek…well, sure, why not," Streen replied. "Is that all right with the rest of you?"

There was a unanimous consensus, although Bynk seemed to be less than enthusiastic about the proceedings, and Tierra went to seek out Tra'ave to ask him, knowing he was probably in the medical room with Cilghal.

***

"So you were sparring with a friend and he accidentally got your shoulder, huh?" The Mon Calamari's calm voice reverberated through the hallway as Tierra approached. The Human girl peeked around the doorway to see an adolescent Bith female holding her arm and nodding.

"It's a pretty nasty cut," Cilghal remarked, "but we'll have it fixed up in no time. Tra'ave, if you would?"

The Twi'lek stepped away from a batch of bacta he was preparing and nodded. He placed his hands gently to the Bith's shoulder, closed his eyes, and exhaled deeply for several seconds. When he lifted his hands away, the wound was completely healed. The Bith looked up at him in surprise, but he merely went back to working with the bacta without saying a word.

"There you go, Zhor'da," Cilghal said, helping the Bith off of the table. "Tell your friend to be a little more careful next time." With a nod, the alien quietly made her exit, waving to Tierra on the way out. "Tra'ave, you are progressing admirably," the Mon Calamari stated. "It's like I don't even have to train you in the Force, like you already know how to use it and it's just up to me to show you how to heal." The Twi'lek, as usual, was silent, so Tierra decided to step in.

"Good morning, Tra'ave," she said shyly—she had meant to chirp it out cheerfully, but as the words left her mouth they were tempered by intimidation, and she found herself wondering why this kept happening; perhaps, she reasoned, it was the effect the Twi'lek's solemn demeanor seemed to have on her otherwise exuberant behavior.

Tra'ave ceased his tinkerings, but did not turn around. "Good morning," he returned impassively.

"Those are the first words I've heard out of him all day," Cilghal commented to Tierra. "He doesn't speak much, but he's an incredibly hard worker and a fast learner. Anyway, what did you need?"

"Well, actually, I wanted to see if Tra'ave wanted to come with us on a mission," Tierra explained.

Cilghal motioned to him, and he turned to look at her. "Tra'ave, maybe you should go. There's really not much I seem to be able to teach you; your skill level is rapidly approaching my own. Perhaps some real-galaxy experience will be a better kind of training for the time being."

Tra'ave looked at Tierra for her opinion—there were those blazingly red eyes again. "Won't you come?" she asked with a pleading grin. "We could really use your help."

He sighed. "All right…I'll go."

***

"This isn't a freighter, it's a pleasure cruiser," Siri complained, looking up at the ship docked in front of them. Indeed, the large craft was so flamboyantly festooned with ornamentation (complemented, of course, with an equally gaudy paint job) that Tierra could scarcely believe her eyes. Was this _really_ where the spice shipment was being stored? She looked up at Tra'ave to see what he thought, but the Twi'lek was merely staring straight ahead, his expression completely blank.

"Ah, welcome, welcome," crooned the spiky-faced alien Tierra had seen in the transmission as he walked down the gangplank, his muddy-green scales glistening in the golden afternoon sunlight. "It's a pleasure to have you—" He stopped suddenly, surveying the small group. "Err…not to offend, but all but two of you seem to be mere children…are you sure this is the wisest course of action?" he asked, blinking in surprise.

"Don't worry, sir," Streen replied. "These Padawans have been dutiful in their training. We won't let Djurga down."

"…Djurga?" Siri murmured to herself, narrowing her grey eyes.

"Ah, of course, of course," the alien replied with a grin and a nod. "I didn't mean to underestimate them, no, not at all. How does the old saying go, 'If you want something done right, ask a Jedi to do it'?"

"…I wouldn't know," Streen replied frankly.

"At any rate, please, do make yourselves at home, but of course do not forget the reason why you are aboard the _Star's Pride_," the alien continued as he led the Jedi into the ship, which was just as extravagant inside as it was out. "My name is Klarto Til'drona, if you need anything please do let me know, or just ask the nearest slave."

"Slave?" Siri muttered, looking around the hallways suspiciously, as if one might pop out at any moment to startle her. Tra'ave, too, seemed upset at the mention of the word, as he immediately glanced back at the closed door in alarm.

"…Are you all right?" Tierra asked both of them.

"Me?" Siri laughed. "Of course I am! What about _you_, hmm? Nervous for your first mission?"

"Sort of…but I'm excited, too! I've never seen anything like this!" Tierra said. "Besides, I think if Master Skywalker has faith in us, then we can do it!"

"Hopefully we won't even have to deal with pirates anyway…" Ackoy remarked. "This'll be a nice little vacation."

"Tra'ave?" Tierra looked over at the Twi'lek, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"I'll be all right," he finally said, after great effort.

Klarto led the Jedi through a large doorway and into an even larger room. "I am pleased to present to you my master, the most honorable Djurga Xorposil Bennac."

"He's a _Hutt_!" Siri blurted out.

Indeed, Djurga was a rather corpulent member of his species, with blue-grey skin and large green eyes, reclining on his throne at the far end of the room and surrounded by an entourage of slaves and associates. Klarto took his place at the Hutt's right hand with a bow, and Lukatz and Streen led the Padawans forward, as they bowed politely as well.

Djurga rumbled something in Huttese. "Djurga welcomes you aboard his business ship," Klarto translated, "and thanks you profusely for your time and assistance."

"I'm sure he does," Siri muttered under her breath.

"I'm Streen, and this is my Padawan, Bynk, and her friend Tierra," Streen announced, shooing Bynk forward; she gave a tiny wave before disappearing back behind her master. Tierra bowed—she had never seen a Hutt before, but from what she had heard it was best to be as polite as possible towards them.

"It's an honor to help you, Djurga," Lukatz said, stepping forward. "My name is Lukatz Arbalest, and these are my Padawans, Siri and Ackoy."

"_Goodde da lodia_," Ackoy said, bowing deeply.

The Hutt laughed and returned the greeting. For several minutes, they exchanged conversation in Huttese, and Tierra was left merely wondering what they were saying.

"I can't believe he's actually _talking_ to him," Siri hissed. When Ackoy motioned to Siri while speaking, she stiffened up and glared at him and Djurga, and shot something back in Huttese; Tierra could make out the word "_stoopa_", one of the few Huttese words she knew, and so she deduced that Siri wasn't saying anything pleasant.

Finally, Djurga pointed over the heads of the Jedi and spoke what sounded like a farewell. "He's dismissed us," Ackoy explained to the others. "He says our rooms are just down the hall; he also says that Siri has quite the tongue for a youngling," he added to Lukatz.

Lukatz looked down at Siri in alarm. "What were you _saying_ back there?"

"Nothing he didn't deserve," Siri mumbled.

"I didn't knew the two of you knew Huttese," her master commented.

"My father is Professor of Galactic Studies at the university back on Dac," Ackoy explained. "I just picked up a lot from him—plus, I've always been rather interested in linguistics."

Lukatz looked expectantly at Siri, who hadn't interrupted Ackoy as usual; instead, she was looking down at the floor pensively. "Oh!" she said, looking up. "Er, well, you know, I just…I know all sorts of languages!"

"Really?" Ackoy asked in a tone of obvious disbelief.

"Yes. Really. Honestly Ackoy, you should know by now that despite the fact that I _may_ seem too amazing to actually exist, I _do_, and you happen to be _privileged_ to be my best friend."

This merely elicited yet another eyeroll from the young Mon Calamari, but before the conversation could progress further, a red-skinned Twi'lek slave approached them; Tra'ave recoiled visibly at her presence.

"I hope it does not inconvenience you," she said, "but I am afraid we only have two free rooms. Please, follow me."

"It's fine," Lukatz replied. "Tra'ave, Streen and I can take one room, and the girls can bunk together."

"I prefer to sleep with the lights low or not on at all," Siri recited to Tierra and Bynk, "and while I would love to stay up regaling you with tales of my heroic exploits, I _do_ need my beauty rest."

Tierra looked at Bynk and grimaced; Bynk merely looked up at Siri in confusion.

"Here we are," the slave said as the group arrived at an elaborately-decorated door set into the hallway; she handed Lukatz two keycards. "The second room is right there." She pointed to another door several meters down the hall. "If you require anything, please let me know." With a bow, she was on her way.

Lukatz tried the first keycard on the near door—nothing happened. "This must be for the other room…here Tierra, you can keep track of it."

He moved to hand the card to her, but Siri snatched it from him and pocketed it. "Don't worry, Master Arbalest, _I'll_ take care of it. Don't you trust your own Padawan to be responsible?" she frowned.

Lukatz merely sighed. "Yes…you're right, I'm sorry." The second keycard opened the door, revealing a lavish suite decorated with exotic plants, with a holoscreen of some alien coastline taking up the entirety of one wall. "…Whoa," he breathed before quickly regaining his composure. "Erm…let's hold council here and discuss the mission, shall we?"

Tierra took a seat on one of the large, velvety floor-cushions next to Tra'ave, who was looking visibly shaken. "Are you all right?" she asked, touching his arm; he flinched and moved it away, nodding his head violently.

"Streen and I have done some research on the Parmel sector," Lukatz began. "Apparently pirating activity there is pretty minimal, but as Jedi, we should still stay on our toes in case something comes up. I know this is your first mission, and I know you haven't started your lightsaber training yet, so if push comes to shove, let Streen and I handle the fighting—"

"I can fight," Siri interjected. "I don't need a lightsaber to fight."

Lukatz looked over at her. "Siri, I'd rather you stay out of combat until I can teach you—"

"Why don't you believe in me?!" Siri snapped. "All this time, I've been telling you how strong I am, how well I use the Force, and you're still treating me like a child!"

"Siri, I—"

"I don't care any more, Lukatz!" she screeched.

"She used his first name..." Ackoy murmured to Tierra. "He's really gonna get it now."

"And you know what?" Siri seethed, "I hope this mission fails! I hope Djurga gets all his spice stolen! In fact, I hope the pirates take that foul, disgusting _sleemo_ and—" Ackoy suddenly clamped his hand over her mouth; she struggled to pry it off, but he had it suctioned firmly to her face, and so she could only glare angrily at him and shout unpleasantries that were thankfully muffled.

"Ehe…sorry about that," Ackoy chuckled awkwardly. "She _does_ have quite the mouth for a youngling."

"Siri, maybe you should go calm down," Lukatz said, as sternly as he could manage. "You're jeopardizing the mission."

Finally, Ackoy broke his hand away, leaving Siri gasping for breath. "Fine…fine," she panted.

"Tierra, could you walk her to the other room?" Master Arbalest asked, garnering another glare from his Padawan. Tierra nodded and moved to escort Siri out of the door.

"Don't expect me to do anything to help that fat parasite!" Siri called to Lukatz over her shoulder. "I'll be in my room until we get back to the praxeum!"

"Siri, why are you so upset?" Tierra asked as they walked to their room. "Master Arbalest just wants to keep you safe until you can get lightsaber training."

Siri looked at the other girl as she opened the door into a suite nearly identical to the one they had just been in. "Tierra. You believe me, don't you?"

"Er…well, sure, why not," Tierra replied.

Siri smiled and gave Tierra a quick, rather insincere hug. "Good, at least someone does. All right then, believe _this_: the mission is a trap."

Tierra's face paled. "What?"

"I'm dead serious, Tierra," Siri replied, sitting down on a couch and pulling Tierra next to her. "I've been going over everything in my head—everything's just way too suspicious. Why would Djurga need Jedi just to protect a spice transport that has very little chance of even being attacked? We're supposed to be diplomats, not mercenaries that the galaxy can call upon for every little favor!"

Tierra mulled over this bit of information. "I…hadn't really thought about that. That one alien said that Djurga didn't want to hire mercenaries, though…and Master Skywalker didn't seem to have a problem with us going."

"He must not have any experience in dealing with Hutts, then," Siri muttered.

"…And you do?" Tierra queried.

Siri blanched. "Tierra, do me a favor and leave me alone. Go back to Master Arbalest and tell him this is all a set-up."

Tierra returned to the others, shaken.

"…I just don't get it," Lukatz was saying to Streen as she walked in. "She's never lashed out at me like this before. What did I do?"

"It's not your problem," Streen replied. "Kid needs to learn to control her temper. And her ego."

"Tierra, what's wrong?" Ackoy asked as the Human girl sat down next to him. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"We've been trapped!" Tierra blurted out, startling the other Jedi. "Siri said so! She says the facts of the mission don't add up!"

"Wait, wait…" Lukatz held out his hand as he tried to gather his thoughts. "What exactly did Siri tell you?"

"She said that it didn't make sense that Djurga asked us to escort his spice to a sector with low pirate activity."

"There's one thing wrong with Siri's theory," Streen commented. "Djurga has no motive. I've never even heard of this Hutt before, I've never heard Master Skywalker mention him, and he has absolutely no reason to kidnap seven Jedi. He doesn't seem that stupid."

"But…Siri said…" Tierra quaffled.

"Siri's been acting oddly since we got on this ship," Ackoy added. "And I'd rather not translate the kinds of things she was saying to me about Djurga. Maybe she's run into him before?"

"He didn't seem to recognize her, though," Lukatz replied.

"New Padawans always do this, Lukatz." Streen patted the shoulder of his fellow Knight. "Get all worked up about becoming Jedi, then you take them on their first mission and they fall apart under the stress they've created for themselves. Just let it blow over. She'll calm down eventually."

Lukatz nodded and turned to the four remaining Padawans. "I really don't think this is a trap. Siri's just being really high-strung. Don't worry about what she says. The Force isn't telling me there's any danger afoot."

Tierra thought. Luke had told her that the Force could warn her of things to come, so she closed her eyes and tried to focus on what the Force was telling her. However, she was instead treated to another deluge of memories of her Corellian childhood: her seventh birthday, the time her father let her drive his landspeeder without her mother's knowing, laughing with her schoolmates at lunch… Her eyes opened, and she lurched forward, overcome with another bout of heartache.

"What's wrong?" Lukatz asked.

"I just…miss my family," she sighed. At least it was easier to keep from crying this time—she was pretty sure she had cried out every tear in her body the first week at the praxeum.

"I'm sorry you're still homesick," Lukatz said, attempting a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure you'll see your family again."

"Yes…yes, you're right," Tierra agreed. But what was really biting at her was the idea that even if she saw them again, nothing would be the same. She might not get to see them for years, and what if she came back to find that they were living in a different town, her parents' hair was grey, and her rambunctious brothers were now her age, she having completely missed out on watching them grow up? And what was worse, she had been hearing strange things about the Jedi Order, whispered among some of the other students—ideas such as a Jedi Knight forming no emotional connections to anyone. Could she really live with that—live _like_ that? A life devoid of relationships seemed a life barely worth living. And why hadn't Luke said anything about it during orientation?

"Hey, come on," Ackoy said, shaking her shoulder. "Let's go see what they've got for eats on this ship, shall we?"

"Dinner does sound like a good idea," Lukatz replied, getting up and stretching.

Tierra peered at her fellow Jedi warily. Was she really expected to _not_ care about them—despite all they were doing to make her care so _much?_

***

Meals on the _Star's Pride_ were no less extravagant than anything else about the cruiser; the Jedi and other guests on board were treated to an expansive smorgasbord of intricately arranged dishes. "I didn't know they _made_ food this fancy," Tierra breathlessly remarked as she carefully added pieces to her plate.

"I know," Ackoy replied from behind her. "It seems almost a shame to eat it, like eating a work of art."

The two rejoined their fellow Jedi at a table amongst the throng of happily chattering aliens that filled the banquet hall. "It's too bad Siri didn't want to come," Tierra said as she sat down. No one responded.


	4. Chapter 4

New Jedi Team: Growing Pains

Chapter 4: Revelations

Several hours after dinner, Tierra lay awake in the suite, listening to the distant hum of the ship's hyperdrive engines as it propelled its tiny microcosm of spice and passengers and fancy decorations toward their destination. Thoughts of her family ran over and over in her head, but what was beginning to bother her more than homesickness itself was the _fact_ that she was homesick. There seemed to be no way of escaping its sorrowful clutches, and the worst part was that it seemed to greatly interfere with her ability to feel the Force. Every time she'd try to meditate, she would be assaulted by reminiscences. Finally, she heaved a sigh and turned over on her cushion (Siri had commandeered the sole bed). As she did so, she had to stifle a gasp, for there was a lone figure sitting on the bed, silhouetted against the faint blue glow of the empty holoscreen wall. It was Siri, sitting perfectly upright, staring straight ahead at the door. "…Siri?" Tierra sat up and rubbed her eyes. "You're awake?"

"Of course," Siri said in an eerily placid tone. "A Jedi must constantly be on her guard."

"But a Jedi also has to get some sleep," Tierra shot back.

"You go ahead and sleep, Tierra. I'll keep watch." Her voice was as calm and steady as the heavy air before a thunderstorm.

Tierra was genuinely worried, however. She moved across the floor, past Bynk sleeping soundly on the couch, and sat on the bed next to Siri, who barely acknowledged her presence. "Siri, why are you acting like this? Do you know Djurga from somewhere?"

"Know him?" Siri laughed gently. "Tierra, dear, I don't need to know him to know that he's a…" She clenched her fists, smiling bitterly as she struggled to stifle the insults crowding her tongue. "…A Hutt. A big, fat, slimy Hutt."

"Well…yes, he is," Tierra admitted. She had seen that with her own eyes—he was rather large, and none could doubt his slime. She was confused—what was Siri getting at?

"Then you understand," Siri continued, "why I cannot assist the rest of you in this mission."

Tierra's shoulders drooped. "No, I can't understand! We're a team, Siri, and being a team means that everybody carries their fair share! What if pirates attack, what if you're the only one standing between them and the spice and you let everyone down just because you're suspicious of Djurga for no good reason?!"

Siri tore her eyes away from the door to shoot a sharp glare at Tierra. "Go back to sleep," she hissed. "Just leave me alone." With that, she renewed her vigil and would not so much as move a muscle in response to any of Tierra's further prying, and so Tierra had no choice but to retire.

***

The next waking period was, for the most part, spent in the males' room performing more Jedi training (Siri still refused to extract herself from her sequestering). They were, once again, meditating; at least, that's what Tierra was trying to tell herself. She didn't want to even _attempt_ the exercise, because she knew what would happen: as soon as she'd start to empty her mind, it would flood with a million memories, and she would start to cry again, and it would be painfully embarrassing. So instead she just sat, concentrating on not concentrating, occasionally glancing around at the others. Their breathing was deep and their eyes were closed—except for Ackoy, seated next to her. His wide eyes were still open, but he was staring blankly ahead. After a few seconds, however, he noticed Tierra's own curious gaze and turned to her. "What?"

She motioned inquiringly to his eyes, not sure how to adequately word the question.

"Oh!" He chuckled. "Mon Cals don't have eyelids. We must look pretty strange to most other sentients when we sleep, now that I think about it."

"Wow," Tierra breathed. "You learn something new every day."

Ackoy studied the young Human for a moment. "Tierra, are you all right?"

Tierra was caught off guard by the question. "Er—" The truth was, she really _wasn't_ all right. But it certainly wouldn't do to let Ackoy have to worry about it.

"Are you still homesick?" Ackoy prodded. From the look on Tierra's downcast face, he knew he had hit home.

She nodded slowly. "I'm really sorry…I try so hard not to be…" She grimaced. "You know…my dad gave me this jacket before I left," she said, tugging at the oversized, blue-and-tan spacer's coat she was wearing over her robes. "It used to be his…see, he's got patches from every company he worked for." Indeed, the left shoulder was covered in emblems and insignias.

"That's quite a collection," Ackoy agreed, studying the tiny symbols. "Sorosuub, CorSec, Trade Federation…" He stopped, his eyes riveted on a particular patch. "Whoa, is that _Black Sun_?"

Tierra looked up at him. "What's that?"

"Err…never mind." He scratched the back of his head absentmindedly. "Tierra…you know…um…thanks for listening to me," he blurted.

"Well…you're welcome," Tierra replied, not sure what else to say. "Why wouldn't I listen to you? You're awfully smart!"

Ackoy looked away. "I'm glad you think so…gee, I really wish Siri was more like you," he sighed. "To tell the truth…you're like the little sister I always wanted…I'm an only child…and I always thought it would be great to have someone around who actually, well, appreciates me."

"What about your parents?" Tierra queried.

"They mostly leave me to myself," the Mon Calamari explained. "I mean, they care for me and all, but when you're busy running a household or teaching students, you don't exactly have a lot of time to spend with your son."

"My parents seemed to have a lot of time for me," Tierra pointed out.

"Maybe it's different for girls," Ackoy responded quickly. "At any rate, thanks for being my friend. I was kind of afraid I wouldn't meet anybody at the praxeum whom I could connect with."

"No problem!" Tierra grinned. "I'm glad we're friends too!"

Lukatz stirred and looked worriedly up at the door. After a few seconds, he let out a resigned sigh. "Tierra, could you go check on Siri again?"

"I don't think she'll be going anywhere, Master," Ackoy commented. "She seems pretty dead-set on staying in that room."

"I guess you're right…" Lukatz agreed. "I'm just concerned…I don't understand why she's being like this."

"She was acting weird last night, too," Tierra added.

"Really? How so?" the Jedi Knight inquired.

"She wasn't asleep, she was just sitting in bed, and she kept saying something about keeping watch," Tierra explained.

"Puzzling indeed…" Lukatz groaned. "Perhaps we should just leave her be for now. How is your meditation coming, Tierra?"

"I…" Tierra clenched her fists in frustration. "I can't meditate, Master Arbalest! I tried, and I can't! Every time I try to relax, I just end up thinking of my family and how much I m-miss them…" Her voice faltered, and she felt the tears well up.

Lukatz looked to Streen for support, but the older man was lost in meditation. "H-hey, you'll see them again some day, don't worry," Lukatz haltingly said, attempting to placate her. "I mean…even _I_ visit my parents sometimes."

"Y-you, Master Arbalest?" Tierra peered at him in confusion. "But I thought…that Jedi couldn't have families!"

At this, Streen suddenly laughed, startling everyone in the room. He opened his eyes and turned to the young Human girl. "Youngling, where in the galaxy did you hear that?"

"Well…um…in my history classes, we learned about the Jedi Order…" Tierra fumbled.

"There's your problem," Streen interrupted, a twinkle in his eye. "You learned about the _old_ Jedi Order. Theirs was a stuffy, rigid system that ultimately produced more harm than it did good."

"But it had existed for millennia," Lukatz reminded his senior.

"Not without its fair share of troubles," Streen shot back. "And the whole thing was so brittle that just one piece breaking away in the storms of war was enough to topple the entire structure."

"But that one piece was more important than most," Lukatz argued.

"I don't want to turn this into a debate," Streen finally said. "Suffice to say, this is the _New_ Jedi Order. It's different. It's better. I'm sure Master Skywalker went over many of our tenets with you, Tierra?"

Tierra nodded. "Yes, but…I guess he forgot to mention this one."

"Well, Jedi _are_ allowed to have contact with their families now. They're also allowed to marry and start families of their own."

"That's a relief," Ackoy muttered.

"So…I really _can_ see my family again," Tierra breathed, new hope swelling in her heart. A bright light had pierced through the darkness clouding her mind. All was not lost. The emotion overpowered her, and once more tears flowed, but this time she welcomed them, as they were tears of joy. For a few precious seconds, she just sat there, hugging her father's worn old coat, smiling until her cheeks hurt.

***

After lunch, the Padawans were given leave to explore the ship—Lukatz himself seemed excited about it as well. "I've never actually been on a luxury cruiser," he commented enthusiastically to the others. "I'll bet they have every kind of entertainment imaginable! I wonder if they have Dejarik…oh, and the view must be wonderful…" he rambled on, taking in all of the sights like a schoolboy on vacation.

Streen shook his head amusedly. "Boy's been a Knight for half a month and still acts like a Padawan sometimes…"

"Um, Master Streen," Bynk squeaked, "how _do_ you become a Knight?"

"Generally, your master will decide when you're ready," Streen explained. "It usually takes years of training and you have to show proficiency in the Force."

"Hey, Ackoy and I are going to go check out the lounge," Lukatz announced. "Want to come?"

"I'll pass," Streen replied. "Not my sort of thing." Bynk shuffled close to him, indicating that she would stay as well.

"Sure, I'll go," Tierra said. "Are you coming, Tra'ave?" She turned to the Twi'lek, who had been silent for most of the day.

"I'd rather not," was his blunt response.

"Please?"

"Why?"

"Because, um…it'll be fun, and we'll miss you if you're not there," Tierra replied. Well, _she_ would miss him, at least, but the entreaty had more force if it was backed by a group.

"…All right," he begrudgingly acquiesced, moving to join the other three.

***

The lounge was, as Tierra had expected, just as luxurious as the rest of the ship. Plush seating lined the walls, and the muted, low-key music of a Bith band in the centre of the room wafted over the soft, ambient lighting of the area. Members of various species occupied the booths and tables, chattering happily over food and beverage. The four Jedi slid into a booth, and Lukatz began perusing the menu. "Oh, great, it's in Huttese," he remarked.

"Allow me, Master." Ackoy picked up his own menu and began translating. "Scurrier tips, braised fork tarts, chuba stew…"

"The stew sounds good, what's in it?" Lukatz asked.

Ackoy scanned the menu entry. "Uhm…you don't want to know," was his shaky reply. "Oh, wait, here's the human fare. Smoked nerf, spiceloaf, bantha steak…"

Tierra, meanwhile, had long given up attempting to read the menu. "Tra'ave," she began, snapping him out of staring at a blank space on the wall, "what's your family like?"

"…I don't have one," he said after some hesitation.

This puzzled her. "Really? But someone must have been your parents, right? Someone must have raised you?" In reply to this, he just looked away and shook his head. "You're an orphan?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he admitted.

"Oh, okay." Tierra looked around restlessly. "You know, I can't wait until I get to see my family again," she commented. "I miss them a lot." This garnered no response from the Twi'lek, who was again preoccupied with the wall across from him. She sighed—his attitude simply baffled her at times, and she wondered if it was even worth trying to be friends with him.

***

Later, they stood on the viewing deck, rejoined by Streen and Bynk. The ship had temporarily dropped out of hyperspace so the passengers could enjoy the view of a nearby nebula for a few hours.

"Wow…it's amazing," Tierra whispered, pressing her nose against the transparisteel window that filled the entire wall of the deck. "I wish Siri was here to see this." The nebula sprawled over the immensity of the cosmic void before them, glowing in a reddish-pink light and studded with intense young stars, shining brilliantly.

"Um, um…" Bynk stood next to Tierra, wringing her hands and shifting her weight anxiously.

"What's on your mind, Bynk?" the human girl asked.

The Pydyrian took a deep breath. "Master Skywalker…w-what's he like?" she asked haltingly.

"Hmm…" Tierra thought. "Well, he's really neat. He knows a lot about the Jedi Order and the Force! And he's also super nice, he helps me out a lot. He kind of reminds me of my dad."

Bynk smiled faintly. "I wish…I wish I could see him more often," she sighed, gazing out at the distant nebula. "What is it like…being his Padawan?"

"Well, um…it's great!" Tierra grinned. "I have a lot of fun doing training exercises—well, except when I get homesick. And I get to hang out with Artoo! Droids are such fascinating things, you know? I always wanted one of my own, but my parents always said they were too expensive…"

"How marvelous…" Bynk murmured, resting her head on the transparisteel.

Suddenly, a shock of realization jolted through Tierra. "Bynk!" she gasped, looking down at her diminutive friend. "Do you…_like_ Master Skywalker? Like, really _like_ him?"

Bynk jumped up and pressed her hands to her face, staring up at Tierra in horror. "Oh…please, please don't tell anyone!" she begged, cringing against the window and glancing over to make sure Streen wasn't listening. "I'm so sorry! I'm terrible!"

Tierra was confused; why was Bynk apologizing for a crush? "It's okay, you don't need to be sorry," she hastily said, patting her fellow Padawan on the shoulder. "_I'm_ sorry I upset you."

"But I do need to be sorry, Tierra," Bynk replied, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I deserve this guilt."

"Nobody deserves guilt for something that isn't wrong!" Tierra placed her hands on her hips. "There's nothing bad about liking him, you know."

"It could never work out…" Bynk muttered. "A Human like him and a Pydyrian like me…it just can't happen. I'm such a fool for letting myself harbor these feelings. They're tearing me apart!" At this, she flung herself into Tierra's arms, sobbing. Tierra could do nothing but look around awkwardly, patting her on the back and giving her assurances that everything would be all right.

"Bynk, what's wrong?" Streen made his way quickly to the pair, concern strewn across his face.

"Oh…it's nothing, Master, nothing," Bynk replied, breaking away from Tierra and trying her best to wipe away her tears with her sleeve.

"Don't lie, it's clearly _something_," the older Human sighed exasperatedly.

Bynk looked up pleadingly at Tierra, hoping for assistance.

"Maybe you should tell him," Tierra said in reply. "He _is_ your master, after all. You can trust him."

"Bynk, you know you can trust me, right?" Streen coaxed. "I'm here to teach you and mentor you. I want to help you grow, both in the Force and emotionally."

After a few tense seconds, the Pydyrian finally relented. "Master Streen, I…I _like_ Master Skywalker. Quite a bit." She hung her head in shame. "Please help me."

Streen laughed. "Is that all? Crying over a silly thing like that?"

"But Master, I don't know what to do," Bynk whimpered.

"Well, to tell you the truth, neither do I," he responded. "I've never really understood the whole 'love' business. All I can say is, do what the Force tells you to and you can't go wrong."

Bynk nodded solemnly. "I-I'll try, Master Streen." After a few awkward seconds in which no one was really sure what to say, the Pyrdyrian heaved a sigh. "Master Streen…thank you…for your understanding. I was so afraid to tell you…"

Streen smiled and patted Bynk on the shoulder. "Hey, if you can't trust your own Jedi Master, who _can_ you trust? I'm here for you, Bynk. I'll help you through this."

Bynk laughed suddenly; it was a light and airy sound, like bird calls in the breeze, Tierra thought. "I'm so silly. Getting all worked up about a little infatuation. I mean, I suppose I can always admire him as a friend, right?"

"Don't worry, Bynk. I won't tell him," Tierra said with a wink. "Your secret's safe with me."

The alien closed her eyes and smiled. "How nice it is…to have friends."


	5. Chapter 5

New Jedi Team: Growing Pains

Chapter 5: Trouble

"Attention all passengers," an unrealistically cheery droid voice announced over the ship's intercom, "we will be arriving at Parmel in approximately three standard hours. Please gather your things and prepare for landing procedure, and thank you for doing business with Djurga Xorposil Bennac!"

"Phew, that was easy enough," Lukatz sighed. "Guess we didn't have anything to worry about after all."

"We're not home-free yet," Streen reminded his junior Knight. "Three hours is more than enough time for a pirate raid."

The group was standing outside of the girls' room—Siri hadn't come out for the entire trip, not talking to anyone and staying awake far past Tierra and Bynk had. Meanwhile, the other Jedi had enjoyed themselves with the cruiser's many amenities; to Tierra, it was more of a vacation than a proper mission.

"Siri?" Lukatz knocked at the door of the room, and it opened to reveal a sullen-looking Siri, glaring up at him. "Oh, you're all right," he sighed, wrapping her in a quick hug. "I haven't seen you in days. What's the matter been, Siri?"

"Never mind that," she snapped, turning away and trying to look busy. "Three more hours and then we can catch the first transport back to Yavin 4."

"Err…what?" Lukatz queried.

"The flight back," Siri repeated over her shoulder in a rather exasperated tone. She stopped. "We…do have one arranged for us, don't we?"

"Uh, actually…Djurga was going to give us a ride back, too," Lukatz feebly explained.

Siri flinched; when she turned around, there was fire in her clear green eyes. "_WHAT_. Do you mean to tell me," she said, stomping toward her master, "that we have to spend another five days on this…this wretched hive of scum and villainy?!"

"What do you have against the _Star's Pride_?" Ackoy asked.

"Oh, just everything," Siri huffed.

"Lovely temper we have," Streen muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, the ship rocked, and the lights flickered—Tierra could feel the tension in the room instantly flare several levels.

"Er…was that _normal _hyperspace-exiting protocol?" Ackoy asked sarcastically.

Lukatz grimaced and looked to Streen, who nodded. "Um…" The young Jedi cast his eyes about anxiously, trying to gather his thoughts. "Er, Streen, Bynk, Tra'ave, go make sure the passengers are all right! Ackoy, Siri, Tierra, come with me to the bridge!" Instinctively, he clutched at the lightsaber at his belt.

Siri planted herself firmly on her bed. "Have fun," she said casually.

"Siri--!!" Lukatz groaned. "Fine, have it your way. Tierra, stay here and watch Siri, would you?"

Tierra nodded, watching as the other Jedi made their way down the hall, which was rapidly filling with startled aliens. When they were out of sight, she turned to her fellow Padawan. "Siri, what are you _doing?_" she hissed. The idea of a pirate attack was something she had been dreading in the back of her mind for the entire trip; yet somehow, now that it was actually happening, she was far less frightened than she thought she would be. At least she still had her wits about her. And at least it hadn't been a trap, like Siri had suspected.

"We'll just stay here," Siri said matter-of-factly, seemingly forgetting her previous suspicions. "Lukatz and Streen will take care of the pirates."

"But it's our _duty _to help them out," Tierra replied, with a sudden intensity that surprised her—did her own voice usually sound so authoritative?

For the first time, Siri faltered, at a loss for words.

"Don't you care about our duty?" Tierra prodded. "Our responsibilities as Jedi?"

"Well…" Siri looked down and fidgeted nervously. "I do, honest, I just—"

The conversation was cut short by a violent shaking, then, with a final sickening shudder, the lights shut off completely—now the room was barely illuminated by dim, blue-violet emergency lighting.

"What I wouldn't give for a lightsaber," Siri muttered.

"You've used one before?" Tierra asked.

"Of course I have. I've been trained in lightsaber combat for years, don't you remember me telling Luke that back at the praxeum?"

"Then why don't you have one with you?"

"I never owned one. I used my friend's. She let me borrow it—shh!" Siri put a finger to Tierra's lips and stared intently at the door.

Tierra could hear rough voices shouting and the stomping of heavy footsteps, and it was getting closer. "What do we do?" she whispered, barely able to restrain the panic in her voice.

Siri thought for a moment. "I have a plan."

***

The Nikto pirate chuckled as he sliced open the security panel on the wall. "Too easy…" The door beside him opened, revealing two young female Humans looking up at him, smiling. "Hello there, girls," he sneered. "Anything of value in this room besides your pathetic little lives?"

The blonde-haired girl waved a hand in the air. "No, and you ought to drop your weapon and go back to your ship," she replied, still wearing a grin.

He didn't know why, but the Nikto suddenly found that to be a most agreeable idea. "O-of course," he mumbled, letting his vibrosword clatter to the ground as he stumbled off down the hallway.

Siri picked up the vibrosword and gave it a few test swings. "Excellent."

"Wow, how did you do that?" Tierra asked, following her fellow Padawan cautiously down the hallway.

"Jedi mind trick—honestly Tierra, didn't you recognize it? Haven't you been doing your studying?"

"Well, yes, but—I've never really seen anyone actually _do_ it," Tierra explained.

Siri didn't respond, as she was busy scanning the corridors for any activity. "Blast…" she grumbled. The hallways were completely deserted.

Tierra didn't know whether that was a good thing. "Where now?" she asked her companion.

"Um…this way," Siri replied, grabbing Tierra's arm and pulling her around a corner, stopping only when they heard voices. The two girls peered into a doorway and uttered mutual gasps. It was Djurga's meeting room, and inside was Djurga himself and his entourage…and a nasty-looking Trandoshan pirate holding something in his hand, something that seemed to be making all of the other beings in the room very, very afraid.

"Give me the security codes for the spice stash," the pirate barked, "or I'll use this thermal detonator to blast your ship to smithereens and gather the stuff up for myself!"

The Hutt merely looked at him, wide-eyed and speechless, then muttered something in Huttese—Tierra caught the word "Jeedai", and from her rudimentary Huttese lessons with Ackoy, knew what it meant.

The pirate laughed. "Your Jedi friends can't help you now. My men are keeping them plenty occupied. They'll fetch a fine credit on the slave market—if we don't decide to kill them first."

Tierra moved to cry out, but Siri clamped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. "Don't let him notice us," she scolded.

"I'll tell you what, you fat pile of slime," the Trandoshan said with mock sympathy. "I'll give you five standard minutes to decide what to do. After five minutes, you either give me the codes…or you can say goodbye, galaxy." With that, he began to back out of the room, blaster in hand, and Siri quickly pulled Tierra into a nearby maintenance closet.

"We have to do something!!" Tierra hissed as soon as the pirate's footsteps had faded.

"Are you crazy?! I'm not going in there!" Siri replied with an equal amount of force.

"Didn't you see the looks on their faces?!" Tierra pled. "We can't just let the pirates do what they want! And we absolutely _cannot_ fail our mission!"

"I don't care about the mission any more!" Siri seethed. "I hope that _sleemo _gets blown to the stars! It's the only fate his kind deserve!"

Tierra was taken aback by the utter hatred dripping from every word her fellow Padawan uttered. "Siri…why do you hate Hutts so much?"

"You'd feel the same way, if…if your mother was a Hutt slave!!"

An awkward silence followed. In the dim light of the closet, Tierra could see that Siri's cheeks were wet with tears.

"Siri…I'm so sorry…I didn't know…" Tierra was at a loss for words, but Siri's revelation certainly explained quite a bit about her behaviour during the entire trip. She hated to admit it, but she had really wished Siri had told them earlier. She felt, though, that saying this would just make things worse.

"You know how I said I grew up on a remote planet that nobody's ever heard of?" Siri continued. "That was a fib. I grew up on…_Nar Shaddaa_." She announced the planet's name as if it were of dreadful importance, but truthfully, Tierra had never heard of it, and she made it obvious with her puzzled expression. "Of course _you've_ never heard of it…you've lived a sheltered life."

"Wait a sec…" Tierra frowned. "Have you been _fibbing _this whole time? About everything? All those great things you said you did…those were _lies?_"

"Ah—well—no, not _all_ of them!" Siri huffed. "But I did…sort of…make some things up…to sound more credible, you know?"

"I think Master Skywalker would rather you tell the truth," Tierra replied pointedly.

Siri sighed. "…You're right…I'm sorry…I was just…so _nervous _about coming to the praxeum…I felt like I had to make everyone like me."

Tierra patted the other girl on the shoulder. "Hey, it's all right. Just be yourself—Master Arbalest and Ackoy seem to like you a lot. And Master Skywalker told me he thinks you have a lot of potential."

"As well he should," Siri smirked for a split second before her face fell again. "Anyway…that's the truth. Now you know. My mother…she was slave to a Hutt for most of her life. The thing treated her like dirt. She had me while she was still in slavery—I never knew my father. Then, one day, when I was three, somebody killed the Hutt, and suddenly she was free, but there's no place to go on Nar Shaddaa when you don't have anything but the clothes on your back, you know? She worked like crazy trying to earn the money to keep us alive. Then, one day, she learned about the praxeum on a HoloNet broadcast. She knew I was Force-sensitive. She'd seen what I was capable of. We scrimped and saved and worked for months just to earn me passage off that dump. When I left her behind…I knew she was hoping I'd have a better life than she did. But I'll go back to her someday, I swear. I'll earn the creds to get her away from that rock and get her the nicest place I can find, on Coruscant or Naboo or some planet like that." By now, she was struggling to keep her voice from shaking uncontrollably.

Tierra moved closer to Siri and put her arms around her. "I'm sorry…" was all she could say for a while. Finally, she spoke again "…Siri, Djurga _isn't_ your mother's master. In fact, he's been really nice to us this entire time. Why don't you give him a chance? After all…being a Jedi is about helping people…even people you don't like."

Siri sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "Yes…I…I suppose you're right. I can't believe what a fool I've been. You know, Tierra, you're awfully wise for someone our age."

Tierra blushed. "Was that a _compliment_, from _you?_"

"Er…well, not that you're not horribly naïve, but don't worry, I'll take care of everything," Siri recovered. "Anyway…please, don't tell anyone what I told you. It's really private. I couldn't bear if anyone else found out."

"Shouldn't you at least tell Master Arbalest, though?" Tierra queried. "I mean…he _is_ your master. You're supposed to form a bond with him."

Siri thought. "I'll consider it. You make another good point. I suppose he'll find out sometime," she concluded flippantly. The sound of approaching footsteps outside silenced their conversation. "That was a fast five minutes," Siri muttered. "Follow me."

"Do you have a plan?" Tierra asked as they slipped out the door.

"Not exactly…but the Force is with us, so we'll be okay, right?"

***

"Time's up, slimeball," the Trandoshan growled. "What's your decision?"

"Hold it right there!"

The pirate spun around to see a blonde Human girl wielding a vibrosword, with a brown-haired Human girl standing beside her.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Siri shouted to the pirate. "Step away from the Hutt and you'll walk away with your legs intact!"

"Uh, how could I walk away _without_ them intact?" the pirate asked, puzzled.

This was just the distraction Tierra needed. She flipped the switch on her repulsorskates and they hummed to life, lifting her half an inch above the floor. With a kick, she sped toward the pirate, tackling him to the ground while his guard was down and wresting the blaster from his hands before even she knew what was happening.

Now both girls were armed, and he wasn't. He knew his odds. So he did the only logical thing there was to do—throw the detonator and run.

The thermal detonator landed innocuously at the foot of Djurga's dais. It was amazing how a small metal ball could be capable of causing such mass panic as the sight Siri and Tierra were now witnessing.

The girls rushed to the detonator amongst the terrified cries in a dozen alien tongues; the timer was slowly counting down. "Do something!!" Siri hissed to Tierra, handing the detonator to her.

"What do you want me to do?!"

"Use the Force! Do that…that thingy you do!" Siri flailed her hands about in a vague attempt to illustrate that "thingy" Tierra did.

"Oh!! Technopathy!" That's what Master Skywalker had termed it, Tierra's unique ability to mentally access the inner workings of an electronic device using the Force. "I'm not sure if it'll work, but…" She cupped her hands around the detonator and attempted to access its programming. Almost immediately, her mind was thrown into turbulent chaos as thoughts of her family obscured the path to the detonator, and her stomach dropped like she had eaten a bad bantha steak. She tried to fight her way into the maelstrom, but her memories screamed defiantly back at her, and finally she broke away, panting. "I…I just can't do it!"

"What?! What do you mean, you can't do it?!"

"I, I have a confession to make, too, Siri…my homesickness has been affecting my ability to use the Force," Tierra admitted.

Siri grimaced. "You picked a really bad time to be homesick, you know that?!" She snatched the detonator from the despondent girl's hands and inspected the timer device. There was two minutes left—just enough time for them to get to the pirates' ship. She looked up at the Hutt, whom she was uncomfortably close to at the moment, close enough to smell his odious stench. Djurga looked down at her in a panic, helplessness apparent in his eyes like a nerf caught in a landspeeder's headlights. Suddenly, Siri was filled with a new resolve. Yes, Hutts were disgusting creatures, and yes, one had made her mother's life a living nightmare. But that _wasn't _this Hutt. And she was a Jedi with a mission to complete. She gave Djurga a grim smile before picking up the vibrosword and jamming it in between the body of the detonator and its activator panel. With a little work, she was able to separate the two—the detonator fizzled and then fell dormant. Siri heaved a huge sigh of relief and sat back.

"If you could do that before, why did you ask me to try to shut it off?" Tierra asked, more confused than miffed.

"To tell the truth…I wasn't sure my method would work," Siri replied. She tilted her head back and laughed, laughed at the narrow brush they'd had with certain doom, laughed because she was finally free from years of hatred, laughed out of sheer relief, like she didn't have a care in the galaxy, because at the moment she found she really didn't.

Tierra found Siri's laugher to be highly infectious, and before she knew what she was doing, she had joined in as well. Soon, they had the entire room in an uproar—even Djurga was joining in with his deep, booming bellows. The crisis had, quite literally, been defused.


	6. Chapter 6

Star Wars: New Jedi Team

Growing Pains

Chapter 6: Homebound

"Is everything all right?" a male voice called out from behind the girls; they turned around to see Lukatz and the other Jedi standing in the doorway.

"Master Arbalest!" Siri launched herself at her master and overpowered him with a tackle-hug, nearly sending him off balance. "You're safe! I mean, of course you're safe," she continued, breaking away from him and assuming a more professional tone. "I knew you'd give those pirates what-for."

"We were told you had been captured!" Tierra blurted. "How did you manage to escape?"

"Captured?" Streen laughed. "Those pirates made the mistake of underestimating two Jedi Knights. It's a blunder they won't repeat again, if they're smart."

"And they'll have plenty of time to think it over in a prison facility," Ackoy added.

"But what happened here?" Lukatz asked, surveying the room curiously.

"It's a long story," Tierra chuckled.

"We single-handedly saved the ship…and Djurga," Siri explained. "Well, _I_ did most of the work. Tierra was moral support."

Normally, Tierra felt she would have been rather upset at this shafting of her contribution to the mission, but she was just so relieved that everything had worked out that she didn't give it much thought. Besides, Siri seemed to need the recognition more than she did.

"Really? I'd like to hear about that—on our way to the bridge," Lukatz said. "Seems the navicomp's been damaged by the pirate attack, and I wanted to see if Tierra could try fixing it. We don't have much time before they start the engines back up, so let's move!"

"What's wrong with Tra'ave?" Tierra asked Lukatz on their way to the bridge. The young Twi'lek didn't seem wounded, but he had been wearing a very sullen and hurt expression since he had re-appeared with the other Jedi.

Lukatz sighed. "You know, I just can't figure him out. When the fight first broke out, he just sort of…well, stood there, not doing anything. Didn't lift a finger to help us. Ackoy and Bynk were making themselves very useful by keeping the passengers safe, but Tra'ave just clung to the wall and watched us."

"He didn't do _anything?_"

"Well, he healed us up after we had taken care of the pirates—had to stop him from healing the _pirates_, in fact, that's probably why he's upset with me. I just don't understand that guy. He's marvelous at healing, but for some reason won't do anything else."

Tierra moved over to the Twi'lek, who glanced at her before looking away. "Tra'ave…what's wrong? Why didn't you help them?"

"…I…I _did_ help them," he replied adamantly.

"But why didn't you help them _in the fight?_ They needed you! You're so strong in the Force—"

"The Force isn't for fighting," was the dour reply.

"Even when it means endangering your own friends—the people you're supposed to be protecting?"

At this, Tra'ave fell silent, and would not respond to any of Tierra's further inquiries.

"How did you find out about my technopathy?" Tierra asked Lukatz as they reached the bridge.

"Master Skywalker told me. You know, he's pretty impressed with it," Lukatz continued. "He said he asked Tionne about it, and she's never heard or read anything about that particular Force power, either. You're pretty special, I guess."

Tierra smiled. "Thanks."

"Ah, back, yes, Masters Jedi?" a diminutive, rodent-like Ranat mechanic said as he scurried up to the approaching group. "Bring the one who can help?"

Lukatz nodded. "If you would be so kind as to show Tierra to the navicomp…"

"Surely, surely, right this way!" The mechanic escorted Tierra to the navigations console and gestured to a complicated-looking display. "You can fix?"

"Um…I'll try," Tierra replied, looking back at the other Jedi. Lukatz urged her on with a hopeful grin. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and placed her hands on the screen, silently wishing that she'd be able to perform, just this once, that she wouldn't let everyone down again…

The inside of the navicomp was unlike any system she'd tried to access previously. Far from the rigid clarity of the relay transmitter or the barebones simplicity of what she had glimpsed of the thermal detonator, the navicomp was overwhelmingly complex. Constantly-shifting hyperspace lanes and coordinates swarmed about with an immense fervor, the magnitude of which was only matched by holovids Tierra had seen depicting the traffic on Coruscant. So far, so good—her homesickness hadn't acted up yet. She reached through the web of information, searching for the route to Parmel—ah, there it was, but what was that? It seemed to be forked. One path led to Parmel, and the other…she briefly traced it to its endpoint.

Corellia.

Tierra choked. Home. She had a chance to go home. Here was her golden opportunity to send herself sailing back to her family and her old life, where everything had been so comfortably familiar. Yes, she'd bring a ship full of people with her, but they could easily drop her off and be on their merry way again, and she could go back to things as they once were. As she mulled over this, she seemed to feel an unspeakable attraction to the Corellian lane, as if invisible hands and silent voices were calling, grasping out for her, whispering sweet promises of a life of ease and safety surrounded by loved ones. The sudden intensity of the longings shocked her out of being allured by them. What was she _doing? _She was a Jedi, with a mission, she was responsible for the well-being of the entire ship, she had people _here_ who _needed_ her. A new resolve washed over her. She loved her family, but they could wait. There were things, she realized, that only she could do, and she could only do them as a Jedi. Suddenly, her own resistance to the changes in her life seemed like a very small and petty thing. Like Master Tionne had told her on her first morning at the praxeum, perhaps this life really was the adventure Tierra was meant to have. And instead of fighting it, she decided to embrace it. She quickly shoved away from her mind all idea of taking the route to Corellia, and instead gently focused her energies on having the navicomp set the jump to Parmel. A sudden shift in signals, the quiet hum of the computer coming to life, told her that her work was done, and she withdrew from the system.

"We're back on course to Parmel!" one of the pilots shouted. "Thank you, Jedi!"

Tierra was about to respond, when she lurched forward and barely caught herself before hitting the floor. She had forgotten how much of her stamina technopathy used. As she drifted off into a deep and refreshing sleep, she had the slightest sensation of being picked up and carried.

***

"Djurga appreciates your service to him," Klarto recited, translating his employer's Huttese rumblings. "He hopes you enjoyed your stay on the _Star's Pride _and your complementary amenities on Parmel."

The Hutt chuckled and looked down at the Jedi in front of him, grinning at Siri, who returned the gesture shakily, but sincerely. "Siri Tachi _mi cheeki dajna_," he uttered. "_Chuya ba jowza._"

Siri bowed, surprised. "Th-thank you, Djurga. _Mee jewz ku an_…may the Force be with you."

Tierra sneaked one last glance at the _Star's Pride_ before gazing up at the walls of the praxeum before them. It was nice to be back on Yavin 4, to be able to breathe good, solid atmosphere instead of the artificial life-support air of a ship. "Siri…what did he say to you?" she asked her fellow Padawan as they entered their place of learning—their new home.

Siri smiled and looked at the ground. "He said…well, he basically said that it was an honor to have known me. That's about as close as you can get to saying 'thank you' in Huttese."

"See there? Hutts aren't all _that_ bad," Tierra replied, putting an arm around Siri's shoulder.

"Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to say _that_." Siri laughed. "Oh, there's Luke!"

"Master Skywalker!" Tierra broke away from Siri and ran to her teacher. "You're back!" She stopped just short of hugging him—she wasn't sure it was entirely proper.

"I've been back for a week now," Luke replied with a grin. "It's nice to see you home safely. I trust you didn't have much trouble on your mission?"

Tierra looked over at Siri, whose green eyes were gleaming with anticipation. "Do we have a story to tell _you_, Master Skywalker."


End file.
